At the start of this half-term, I deleted Twitter/X from my iPhone.  As much as I enjoyed scrolling through news clips and opinions, I had found myself trapped in a time vortex that usually ended an hour after I had sat down with a me feeling stressed or frowning for no apparent reason.  The ability of smart phones to make us addicted to angst is a modern phenomenon which afflicts us all.  Since deleting it, my screen time is down 30% and I have managed to find much more time for reading.  A book. 

Hypocritically, I also get frustrated when I find my son lounging on the sofa, Sky Sports on the TV, mobile phone in hand, an iPad on his lap.  “What you doing?” I’ll ask him.  “Nowt,” he’ll reply.  “Then get up and do you homework/empty the bins/dishwasher etc,” I’ll snap in frustration. 

Smart phones are insidious objects.   In a generation, they have crawled into every corner of our lives so that now we now can’t live without them.  Just last night alone, I used my phone to time my run, listen to a Podcast, check my work emails, pay a bill, check the football scores, read the news, engage in some banter with my mates on WhatsApp, do some Christmas shopping and text my mum.  The productivity achieved from my phone is incredible.  And yet, I could spend as long as it took me to do those things, doom scrawling through X in search of a momentary dopamine hit.  And I’m a middle-aged man who learned how to live and function as an adult before smart phones existed.  Pity the child who knows nothing else.  

Which is why, this year, we further tightened our policies on mobile phones in schools.  We have now joined the 56% of schools in England that do not allow mobile phones to be used at all during the school day, even at breaks and lunchtimes.  This is up from 39% in 2018 and the trend is only going in one direction.  Some schools have gone as far as physically removing phones from students when they arrive on site on the basis that the presence of a phone in a student’s pocket or bag is a stress creator (there is lots of research to support this). 

I have to say that, since we tweaked this policy, the response from the students has been superb.  They quickly adapted to it and universally comply with it; there are now only a handful of occasions each week where a student uses their phone and has it removed from them.  More importantly, incidents of peer disputes arising from mobile phone use in school have disappeared.  There were never many to begin with, and we still have to content with the regular out-of-school social media disputes which then spill into school, usually on a Monday morning.  If you were to walk into our school canteen at lunchtime, you would find hundreds of young people and teenagers sitting and chatting, sometimes playing Uno or another card game, and just enjoying each other’s company.  In person.  It is great to see. 

***  

This week, we sent out the first issues of The Eagle – our new year-group school newsletter.  If you missed it, they can be found here.  This will be sent to you each half term with the next one due before February half term to provide you with an update of the curriculum that your child is studying as well as the wide range of extra curricular events taking place. 

***  

It has been a tough few weeks in school with lots of students and some staff absent through illness.  I have managed to dodge the germs for now but I can feel the tiredness.  The only people that can understand how tired a teacher is in the week before Xmas is another teacher.  And so, this being the final weekend before the Xmas break begins, we are opting for a relatively quiet weekend in the Groak household, starting with a Christmas movie tonight, some gentle shopping tomorrow and an early morning trip to Bridlington on Sunday to see my son play football.  If the weather holds, we may even go for a bracing beach walk before heading home for another lazy Sunday afternoon.  In between times, I will catch up with my parents and plan the time we will spend together over Christmas.  It still sounds busy when I write these words but it will feel relaxing. 

Enjoy your weekend and thank you for your support.  

Mr Groak

Headteacher

This week I had the great pleasure to be at a conference which include a keynote speech by Sir Jason Kenny.  Jason is probably not quite a household name but he was a member of the GB cycling team for many years and is the most decorated British Olympian of all time, with seven Gold medals, ahead of more well-known athletes such as Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Stephen Redgrave.

His speech provided an insight into the way in which the cycling team worked and the concept of ‘marginal gains’.  These have become well known and there are numerous anecdotes of the things that the cyclists used to do in order to gain very small advantages over their opponents, such as learning how to wash their hands properly (so that they were less prone to colds and sniffles, which impaired their training) or taking their own pillow away with them on training and competition trips (so that they could get better sleep) or even shaving the hairs on the backs of their hands (to aid the aerodynamics).  Even Jason admitted that the gains from the last one were probably more in their own mind than the real world.

But there were two further take aways for me.  Before the team got to discuss the marginal gains, they had already focused on what they called the ‘critical success factors’ which, in cycling, include training, proper nutrition and having the best equipment (i.e. the fastest bike).  Without these, it doesn’t matter what else you do, you are not going to compete, let alone win.

I reflected on this in discussion with my colleague, Mr Chapman, as we drove back after the event.  In school, there are multiple success factors that are critical: student attendance, excellent behaviour, an interesting and well-constructed curriculum and, most of all, high quality teaching and learning.  Anything else might be important and helpful (marginal gains) but these fundamentals are our focus every day and, listening to Jason Kenny, it helped to clarify this even more for us.

My other take away was how relaxed he was.  Practically horizontal.  In a sport where the competition is so intense and where a tenth of a second can be the difference between a Gold medal or mediocrity, his insight into the team was that they were utterly relaxed about their success or otherwise.  The process for them was everything and they focused on controlling the controllable, and disregarding all of the rest.

The circle of control and influence is something I speak about to my colleagues regularly but hearing someone else talk about the same principle in a different context also helped me to shed some of the things that have been weighing me down.  These are things which occupy my thinking, cause me to worry but I have no control and little influence about them.  I should just forget them, focusing instead on the things I can control and influence.

There are lots of parallels between sport and education (although there are even more differences) and I always find it interesting to listen to athletes talk about their work, what motivates them and how they deal with success and failure.

***

Thank you to the over 200 families that attended our Year 11 Mock Results Evening last night.  This represented 85% of the year group and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.  There were some tough conversations and a few tears but, importantly, a determination to move forward together to keep improving student performance.  I wish to also thank all of the staff (teachers, facilities team and admin staff) who made the event happen and ensured it was such a success.

***

There are now three weeks left of the Autumn term, the longest of the year.  Whilst Christmas is approaching, in secondary schools, we ensure that students stay focused on their day to day learning as much as possible.  There will be observation of the season over the next three weeks, through our Christmas Concert at Hessle All Saints Church (16th December), the Christmas Dinner in the canteen (18th) and the Tutor Christmas Party (afternoon of 20th – last day of term).

The number of students with 100% attendance to school this year is significantly higher than the same time last year and we are challenging all students to hit those streaks of attendance so please do not permit your child any unnecessary days off school over the next three weeks.  Learning will be taking place as normal every day so attendance to school is vital for success.

***

Our Christmas tree goes up this weekend and my daughter, having finished her Christmas Present List in September, has now put together our Christmas Movie list.  We return to Home Alone every year, as well as The Christmas Chronicles, but since we seem to have acquired subscriptions to Disney and Apple this year, I am hoping for some greater variety in our movies in the next few weeks. 

Whatever you are doing this weekend, stay warm and safe and thank you for your support. 

Mr Groak

Headteacher

“At the going down of the sun, and in the morning; 

We will remember them” 

The words of Keiron S, one of our Year 10 students, who volunteered to read those famous lines from the poem “For the Fallen” last Monday.  Kieron was standing in the middle of our school library surrounded by the entire school population of students and staff – over 1400 people – dressed proudly in his cadets’ uniform to represent our nation’s uniformed services.  Keiron’s words were followed by a two-minute silence – impeccably observed – and the Last Post played by Jamie O’Brien, one of our Trust Shared Services colleagues. 

It was a hugely touching few moments and a rightful recognition of the sacrifices made by a generation long ago, and by many others since.  As I stood, I watched the faces of our students and tried to wonder what it meant for them but also reflected upon the importance of continuing to mark the remembrance event in a solemn and collective way.  In the week since we returned from half term, many students have volunteered to sell poppies and even more have gone out of their way to buy them.  Whether they feel a close connection to the fallen or not, there is no doubt that our students recognise when they truly need to pay respect to something that is greater than they, and they never let us down.  I was extremely proud on Monday morning and really moved by it all. 

***  

It continues to be a very busy term for educational trips and for guest speakers in school.  In recent, or coming, weeks, students will experience the following: 

• Year 13 Geography trip to Hull University 

• Year 12 Physics trip to The Royal Institute, London  

• Year 9 Art trip to the Tate Liverpool (with a Beatles tour thrown in) 

• Year 10 trip to Motorcycle Live at the NEC, Birmingham 

• Year 9 trip to the National Video Gaming Museum in Leeds 

• Year 11 visit to see Othello at the RSC in Stratford 

• Year 11 careers visits to Bishop Burton, Calvert Lane Fire Station and Hull University 

• Year 10 Photography trip to Hornsea 

• Year 11 trip to Barcelona, Spain 

• Year 10 Art trip to the Hockney Gallery in Salts Mill 

Across the year, our aim is for all our students to have at least one educational visit opportunity and, across their time in school, for all students to have the opportunity for an overnight visit and possibly an overseas trip. 

This takes a huge commitment from our staff to organise these events as well as the colleagues who then cover for them whilst the trips take place.  I know that you appreciate these experiences for your child because you get in touch to thank my staff for offering them.  I am also conscious that – for financial reasons – you may not be able to support all the experiences we are offering and would always urge you to contact us where this is the case.  We do try to offer a wide breadth of experiences and aim to keep the cost as low as possible.  Your feedback is always welcome. 

*** 

We continue to focus on raising attendance and we are pleased that this continues to improve but one of the biggest obstacles we face, aside from illness, is term time holidays.  

I fully appreciate the financial difference in the cost of holidays in term time but, as your child’s Headteacher, I see the impact of broken attendance on student progress and personal development every day. 

In Year 10 and 11, students with attendance below 90% (that is the equivalent of two weeks holiday, plus just one day off per month with illness) achieve an average Grade 3 – not enough to access the next stage of education. 

Those Year 10 and 11 students with attendance above 95% achieved an average Grade 5 and those with 98% or above (just 4 days off all year) averaged Grade 6.   

In the younger years, the impact is more developmental.  Students that miss periods of learning often return to school showing greater anxiety and reluctance to attend.  The impact of a week’s holiday is huge; 25 missed lessons means that every subsequent lesson becomes more difficult to manage and deal with. 

It also means a disconnect with friends.  The daily stories, laughs and gossip is a key part of growing up.  Missing out on this can cause students to find it difficult to reconnect friendships.  

For all these reasons, I urge all families not to take term time holidays.  My discretion to authorise these is extremely limited and is only ever applied in a very small number of cases.  

***  

This week has been notable for the change in temperature and the nights drawing in.  As I write this on Friday afternoon, it is already getting dark at 3.30.  From Monday, we will also be closing the field to students at break and lunchtime and asking them to share their social space more closely with each other.  The next ten school weeks (until around February half term) are usually the most difficult in school and we will be setting out our expectations around behaviour and conduct in assemblies with the students next week.  As ever, your support in maintaining our high standards of behaviour and uniform are greatly appreciated. 

***  

After last week’s trip to Surrey, I am looking forward to quieter few days at home this weekend.  Time to relax, spend time with the kids and then plan for the week ahead.  Except for Sunday afternoon, when we are going to the cinema to see the new Paddington movie.   

Enjoy your weekend, whatever you have in store, and thanks again for your support.    

Mr Groak

Headteacher

“You must be winding down this week, aren’t you? With half term coming next week?”

These are words that are always sure to make any teacher bristle with barely concealed fury.

There is no such thing as ‘winding down’ in a school.  Any notion that a school full of teenagers become any easier to manage or engage in the final days before a holiday is for the birds.  To give you a sense that this is not the case, let me share my week. 

Monday began with our Senior Leaders meeting at 7.45.  This is an operational meeting where the arrangements are organised for any staff absence, where daily duties are checked and adjusted and any important information that has reached us over the weekend is shared and assessed for impact.  Incidents that may have taken place in the community, or even within families, can have a big impact on a school and so our pastoral leaders share news with us, and we determine which student may need to be checked in ones are organised.  A similar check is run across our staffing, especially at the end of a busy term where some staff may need a little extra support.

From here, we go out on duty in front of school.  This is a busy area and takes a large staff presence to ensure the safety of all our staff, students and parents as they arrive on site.  Within twenty minutes, over thirteen hundred young people, six buses and around a hundred and fifty vehicles pass in and out of the school site and well-drilled routines ensure that by 8.40, all the students are in their tutor classrooms and the front of school is quiet and calm again.  It is a feat of intense organisation and commitment from all our staff, as well as the cooperation of our students to pull it off.  But it happens every day, day in and day out.

I normally start my week with a meeting with Mrs Price, Deputy Head.  In this meeting, we plan our quality assurance activities.  This involves around fifty lesson drop ins per week which we share between us.  This work ensures that the quality of education is always of a very high standard, and it is a great privilege for us to be able to see so many fantastic teachers at their work.  Through this, we also identify especially strong practice which we can then share amongst the staff.  At this time of year, we are also looking ahead to the next school year, and we have already started to plan our staffing requirements and tweaks to our curriculum.

At ten o clock, I go on break duty; this involves joining the team of staff monitoring around four hundred students as they line up and use the canteen.  The vast majority of our students are highly self-regulated and need minimal supervision, but the presence of several staff is reassuring for students and gives them someone to talk to, and to share their learning and highlights of their day.

At 10.30, we were visited by Mark Brown, our Trust Director of Education.  It being Year 11 mock week, we headed for the exam hall so that I could show him how impressively our students were settling into their mock exams; we then dropped into a few lessons and did the second break duty together. 

This year, we have seconded two of our talented middle leaders onto our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and, as the term ends, I wanted to check with them how they were benefiting from the experience.  So, at 11.30, I met with Mr Sellers, Assistant Head of Science, to discuss his leadership development and how we can further support him in his work.  Talking about leadership is something I always enjoy and, later in the week, I had similar conversations with Mrs Phetla, Deputy Head of Maths, who is also seconded to SLT this year.

At 12.20pm, it was back into the canteen for the first lunch duty and then, at 1pm, I met with Mr Minns, one of our school’s teacher union reps.  I am proud that we have a harmonious working environment at Hessle, but it is helpful to have staff representatives to bring me any concerns or issues that I need to be aware of.  Managing a school of over two hundred staff is quite daunting and I have to make decisions that don’t please everyone but good dialogue is the key to getting it right more often than not. 

At 1.30, I had a meeting with another member of staff and then, at 2, I did my share of the lesson drop ins that I had planned earlier in the day with Mrs Price.

By 3 o’clock, the school begins to empty and I was back on gate duty once again before leading the whole staff meeting at 3.15 during which I summarised the achievements of the term to date and thanked them for their work. 

There was still a couple of hours of work to do, to read and reply to emails and prepare for the next working day.

The rest of the week followed in similar vein but also involved hosting a visit from another headteacher in our trust and a Year 10 Parents Meeting on Tuesday.  The days are relentlessly busy but I would not have it any other way. 

When I left university, I spent a summer working in an office where my job was to transfer a heap of manual finance records onto a computer system.  Our breaks and lunches were taken at fixed times and nobody moved or spoke whilst working.  It was mind-numbingly boring and although I only worked there for a month, the days lasted weeks and the month seemed to last a decade.  I vowed that I would never work in a role where I ‘clock-watched’ again. 

Working in a school is hard and leading it occasionally brings pressure that I had never known before; but it is never dull and every day brings laughter, joy and immense satisfaction.  I am very lucky.

Just to underline how fortunate I am, I had an interaction with a family on Tuesday which I will never forget.  Their child had been out of school for almost two years for reasons that are too complex to go into here.  As a parent myself, I can’t imagine how anxious I would feel if one of my children was unable to attend school.  Anyway, six months after joining Hessle, their child is now attending school every day, gradually building confidence and starting to enjoy being a teenager again.  “Everyone in the family is happy again,” they told me.  They singled out one individual member of staff for praise (which I couldn’t wait to pass on the next day) but this kind of work goes on in schools all of the time.  And it is life changing.

As I write this, the sun is shining and the students have left the school site.  All of our staff will be at Wolfreton School tomorrow for our annual Trust Conference.  It promises to be an enjoyable day meeting colleagues and learning from one another.  And then, it will be half term.

On Saturday, I will be in Derby watching Hull City, at the behest of my son who is chalking up visits to as many sports grounds as he can.  From there, we are heading further South to my wife’s family in Surrey for a few days which, on Monday, involves a trip to as many London-based football grounds as we can fit in.  My son believes we can visit thirteen and has a highly detailed itinerary already planned.  We’ll see how that goes when it meets the reality of the London transport network!

By midweek we will be back home for a few days of ‘life admin’ - visit from a plumber, haircut, dentists, car MOT – before getting ready to go again for another seven weeks.

It has been a very successful half term for us at Hessle High School and I thank you, as always, for all of your support. 

Enjoy the weekend. 

Question:  How much does it cost to send your child to Eton College?  What is the average cost of private school education in the UK, and what impact will the Government’s introduction of VAT on these fees have on the cost? 

For the answers, and the reason why I pose these questions, read on.... 

On Wednesday evening, I had the privilege of speaking to a large number of parents/carers of Year 11 students.  The event was our Autumn Term Success Evening and consisted of a carousel of three activities designed to provide parents with as much information as possible with which to support the students as they embark on the most important year of their educational life. 

Year 11 is a testing year for students; they have to contend with so much.  It is the second year of their GCSEs in which most external assessments take place, which includes plenty of coursework as well as up to 27 individual examinations in the summer.  There are two sets of mock exams (Autumn and Spring) and lots of learning and homework.  And then there’s the pressure of decision making – where am I going next?  Sixth Form?  College?  Apprenticeship?  That means lots of open days, careers events and hard thinking about what the student wants to do with the next stage of their education. 

It adds up to a tough year.  And one that no student can navigate alone.  Fortunately, they don’t have to.  They have access to a highly skilled and experienced and dedicated body of staff at Hessle High School, whose job it is to support students through this experience on an annual basis.  It is what they do, they’ve been doing it for years and they do it well. 

And it’s free. Doesn’t cost a thing.  The average cost of a year’s worth of education in a private school would set you back around £15,000 and, if Eton was your private school of choice, you’re looking at more than £60,000.  Per child, per year. 

I often wonder what you get for your money, since I get around £5,000 per year to provide a full and rounded education for each of our students.  It’s not as much as I think they’re worth but it's just about enough.  And it certainly buys a great team of people who do a great job every single day. 

But I digress.  My message to our students and their families this week was that there is a fantastic package of support available to help the students, and families, to navigate the tough year ahead.  And all that is required is to turn up, engage with it and to prosper.   

The fact that we had the overwhelming majority of our Year 11 families in attendance hopefully demonstrates to my staff that their work is appreciated and the support will be taken gladly.  It was a great event. 

It has been a good week for Year 11 students and those that are considering enrolling with our Sixth Form next year were also delighted to hear the ‘big reveal’ on Monday.  This is the news that all future Consortium Sixth Form students, whether studying at Hessle or Wolfreton, will be given a brand-new laptop for free.  And this is not a gimmick or a toy; it is designed to support their work, their independent study and then it will be theirs to take to university to set them up for the next stage of their educational career. 

I know that our Sixth Form staff are hugely grateful to our CEO Lizann Lowson and her team for making this resource available and I firmly believe it will add value to their Sixth Form experience. 

***  

I continue to marvel at how well our Year 7 students have settled into their new school since arriving with us in September.  I am on duty in the canteen most days and can testify to their good manners, respect for each other and courtesy to all staff in the school.  Parents and families should be very proud of them; I am. 

The arrival of a new Year 7 cohort is always something of a challenge to all the other year groups as they all shuffle up the school, taking on new responsibilities and settling into new classes and subjects.  The start of the year so far has gone very well and I am aware that this is not possible without your support, so I thank you. 

***  

The last few days has seen me hunting down tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s 2025 tour of Europe.  A couple of dates have been secured and I have my eye on a couple more.  I’m determined to wring as much enjoyment as possible from what will probably be Bruce’s final few years on the road (he’s 75) and, this time, to take my kids as well.  Whilst I don’t mind Oasis or Coldplay, neither can hold a candle to Bruce and his band so there was no debate for me when looking for concert tickets this year. 

***  

On Saturday night, I will be watching the Super League Grand Final.  As a Hull FC fan, it pains me to see Hull KR in the final but even I can grudgingly admire what they have achieved at Craven Park in recent years and so they do deserve their day in the spotlight.  That doesn’t extend to me wanting them to win and I will definitely be supporting Wigan but I do hope that their supporters, some of whom will be reading this and who attend or work at Hessle, have a good day and are proud of their club. 

Whatever you are doing this weekend, enjoy it and thank you for your support. 

Mr Groak

Headteacher

I have only ever worked in schools with a Sixth Form.  I also went to a school with its own Sixth Form and so I know how a school Sixth Form supports students in a way that a large Further Education College cannot.  The tight relationships, the pastoral care, the deep understanding of a student’s ability and personality; these are qualities that take time to develop. 

Colleges certainly have lots to offer; the focus and specialisation on just the one Key Stage and the economies of scale mean that the marketing can often be very slick and eye-catching.  There is, of course, a place for both institution types in a mixed market place. 

But the school Sixth Form has to be fought for and defended in the face of tight funding and competition.  At Hessle, we have a thriving Sixth Form but it takes lots of hard work and dedication of staff to ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of our students that are more likely to flourish in a setting such as ours rather than at the large colleges in the area. 

This year we have recruited 87 students, mostly from our own Year 11 but also a growing handful from other schools in the area.  This is thirteen more than last year and means that the Sixth Form remains viable. 

It would only remain so because of the long-standing partnership we have enjoyed with Cottingham and Wolfreton Schools.  For those that are not aware, we work closely together to provide as many courses as possible and then transport students between our schools to give them access to those courses, and specialist teachers.  This has enabled us to compete against specialist colleges for many years.  But it has been tough. 

This week, a consultation was opened on the possible closure of Cottingham Sixth Form with effect from September 2025; along with the Sixth Form at Holderness Academy, another school in our Trust.  These decisions are not taken lightly and have only occurred after several years of hard work and creativity to find ways to survive, which I have witnessed at close hand as Headteacher of one of the schools in the partnership. 

Cottingham, in particular, face fierce competition right on their doorstep in the form of Wyke College.  This move, if it comes to pass, will enable the school to focus on preparing students for GCSEs and will also allow leaders at Hessle and Wolfreton to prioritise an even better offer delivered by our two schools in partnership.   

I want to reassure all parents/carers of students currently studying at Hessle in whatever year, that our Trust and school leaders are utterly committed to a Sixth Form at our school for many more years to come and we have already drawn up plans of how we can promote our offer outside of our own school to enable us to look to expand our provision further. 

We will be visiting our other Secondary Schools in the coming weeks to promote that offer and welcoming as many people as possible to our Open Evening on Tuesday 15th October, as well as that of Wolfreton on Thursday 10th October. 

If you have a child in Year 11, you will already know about this but I would welcome any parent/carer who wishes to hear more about what a school Sixth Form can offer, to pay us a visit (5pm to 7pm) and hear from our superb Head of Sixth Form, Mr Jarman, as well as myself and many of our teachers. 

***  

Last night, one of the highlights of the year, was our Year 5/6 Open Evening.   Despite the inclement weather, the pre-sale of Coldplay tickets starting at 6pm and a slightly reduced 2025 catchment area, we still attracted almost 350 families to look around our school. More importantly, the feedback was terrific. 

Although this is not a popularity contest (well, maybe a little bit!), it is always reassuring on many levels to have affirmation that we continue to be very popular in the local community.  And this has a very practical effect too, in that we are almost assured of being full once again into Year 7, with all the stability benefits that accrue from that in terms of finance, staffing and curriculum delivery. 

As current parents and family members, you play an important role in maintaining our reputation in the community as you talk about the progress and development of your children who attend our school.  I have always found our parent community incredibly fair and honest.  When we get things wrong, you will tell us but we are also given the chance to put things right and that also feeds a reputation for having open communication between school and home.  The high numbers to our Open Evening are as much your success as anyone that works at the school, and I thank you for your support. 

***  

Sunday marks the final day of the domestic cricket season and, although the windy and wet conditions might seem a bit incongruous, my son and I are planning to go to Leeds to watch Yorkshire seal promotion.  We will be huddled in coats and hoodies most probably but it will still be a good way to symbolically mark the end of summer.  I may even listen on the way to one of my favourite songs about summer – Summer’s End, one of the final songs recorded by the late and remarkable John Prine.   

Have a lovely weekend and thank you again for your support. 

Mr Groak

Headteacher