Year 11 Ready 

This week, students in Year 10 have been receiving key information and messages about “Becoming Year 11 Ready”. In just a few weeks, the current Year 11 will be taking their final exams before leaving us and moving on, either to the Sixth Form or another education provider, and Year 10 will take their position. The final term of the summer provides students in Year 10 with a whole host of opportunities to demonstrate their readiness to step-up and demonstrate the academic and social maturity we expect a Year 11 cohort to show. Some of the key dates for the upcoming term are discussed below: 

Monday 3rd June - DT and Food Coursework briefing released 

Students will be issued with a coursework task, chosen by their teacher from a choice issued by the exam board. They will then complete research, planning and evaluation related to this brief which will then be assessed and count towards the students’ final grades.  

Tuesday 11th June and Wednesday 12th June – Geography pre-release field work 

Students will complete field work related to the “Pre-release” Materials recently issued by the exam board. Field work is an essential part of GCSE study where students can follow an enquiry and collect data to support their investigation. 

Thursday 6th June – Year 10 Bridge Day 

This day has been carefully planned to support students’ personal development and will include range of sessions, tailored to the year group, including Ready for Work, CPR Skills, Humberside Police, and “Dealing with Exam Stress”. Students will attend school as normal and take part in multiple sessions throughout the day, delivered by external specialists alongside their teachers. 

Monday 17th June to Friday 28th June - Year 10 Mock Exams 

During this fortnight, students are given the chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills they have acquired to-date. The exams will provide a benchmark for current performance and provide teachers with an accurate picture of what each student has successfully mastered and what they need to work on.  

Monday 1st July to Tuesday 9th July – Careers 

Careers Week will take place on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd before students head out on work experience for the remainder of the week (Wednesday 3rd - Friday 5th). They will then return to school the following week to complete the remainder of their Careers Week activities on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th. The Careers Week experience will conclude with the Aspirational Dinner, an opportunity for selected students to meet with local businesses and employers over a sit-down meal, helping them to develop their social confidence in formal situations.  

Tuesday 16th July – Sports Day 

For the final time, students in this year group will be taking part in the school Sports Day, giving them the chance to compete for individual glory as well as earning points for their houses. A great way to round off a busy and successful half-term. 

I hope all students can experience a restful and safe half-term break and look forward to their return for the final stages of Year 10. 

Mr Riches

Head of Year 10

Mrs Lacey

Assistant Head of Year 10

Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards 

As a school, we are proud to support students’ participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s awards programme. The programme allows students to participate at one of three progressive levels which, when successfully completed, leads to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. There are four sections to complete at Bronze and Silver level and five at Gold. These involve: helping the community/environment, becoming fitter, developing new skills, planning, training for and completing an expedition and, for Gold only, working with a team on a residential activity. Through this programme young people have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem and build confidence. They gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and university and job applications. Top employers recognise the work-ready skills Award holders bring to their business. 

Last weekend, 13 Year 10 students took part in a three-day practice expedition as part of their Silver DofE Award. They were required to navigate, walk and complete activities for 7 hours each day. They cooked for themselves on a camping stove, rustling up some tasty meals, and camped for two evenings. Not only did they face the challenge of the walk, but they were also required to carry all their belongings for the weekend in a 65-litre rucksack, really putting their stamina to the test. These 13 students rose to the challenge and excelled, gaining some valuable life skills and making some lasting memories along the way. Following their success in this practice expedition, these students will complete their qualifying expedition next month in North Yorkshire.  

Well done to all students involved and a huge thank you to Ms Moore and Mr Scott for supporting the students during the weekend. 

Changes to Year 10 day 

A small change to the Year 10 day will take place next week. From Monday 29th April, Year 10 will be switching over from early lunch to late lunch in order to support the Year 11 GCSE exams.  

Student Shout-Outs 

Year 10 Shout-Outs have continued to roll in over the last fortnight and, as always it’s been really pleasing to be able to reward the hard work and effort demonstrated by students in this year group as well as the strength of character shown by many of them each and every day.. 

My favourite comment of the last week came from Miss Keeble: 

“I had a conversation with this student last week as I had noticed his ATL (attitude to learning) had massively improved this half term. He informed me that he had realised his grades were slipping so he is putting in more effort. It shouldn't go unnoticed that he is doing the right thing!”  

This is exactly the sort of attitude that will stand him in good stead as we move towards Year 11. Well done Ahmed. 

Name	Reason	Teacher	School Value
Evie (10O2 - HHS)	Excellent work in Photography, Always working hard and putting 100% into lessons.	S Lewis	Aspiration
Matilda (10P3 - HHS)	Excellent work in Photography, Always working hard and putting 100% into lessons.	S Lewis	Aspiration
Molly (10A3 - HHS)	Excellent work in Photography lessons, and directing shoots for best outcomes. Well done Molly	S Lewis	Aspiration
Tierney (10A2 - HHS)	Well done, showing improved progress in lesson attendance and participation in shoots	S Lewis	Resilience
Lilly (10O1 - HHS)	Good work in Art, Well done.	K Moore	Aspiration
Ksenija (10C2 - HHS)	Good work in Art, Well done.	K Moore	Aspiration
Macy (10P2 - HHS)	Fantastic work in Art, Well done.	K Moore	Aspiration
Ryan (10A3 - HHS)	Working hard on practical in Engineering	A Deveney	Aspiration
Harley (10P3 - HHS)	Working hard on practical in Engineering	A Deveney	Aspiration
Jacob (10O2 - HHS)	Getting one of the closest measurements in Engineering.	A Deveney	Aspiration
Mason (10C3 - HHS)	Getting one of the closest measurements in Engineering.	A Deveney	Aspiration
William (10A2 - HHS)	Always working hard in DT but also always being extra kind. Will goes above and beyond to help students who are struggling. Will is a perfect role model and extremely polite and kind to those students in lesson but also to staff he comes across! :)	A Deveney	Kindness
Imogen (10P2 - HHS)	Always asks me how I am which is appreciated!	C Groak	Kindness
Misty (10P2 - HHS)	Always really chatty and kind in tutor.	C Groak	Kindness
Amelia (10P2 - HHS)	Always really polite in tutor.	C Groak	Kindness
Ozan (10P1 - HHS)	Fantastic work in a practical, very responsible and got everything done within the time. Some great questions too.	Z Chase	Responsibility
Evie (10P1 - HHS)	Fantastic work in a practical, very responsible and got everything done within the time. Some great questions too.	Z Chase	Responsibility

Mr Riches

Head of Year 10

Mrs Lacey

Assistant Head of Year 10

In this final blog before we break for Easter, it feels like a timely opportunity to look forward to the Summer and the light at the end of a long, dark winter. This weekend marks the Spring equinox. At this point, day and night will be around the same length which is evident in the word's origin derived from the Latin equi (meaning 'equal') and nox (meaning 'night'). Ultimately, it marks the beginning of spring and from this day forward the day is longer than the night meaning that on Monday our day will be 12 hours and 4 minutes. It doesn’t sound a lot, but it matters. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are (slowly, but surely) warming up and we are almost into the Summer Term. 

As I was leaving school at the end of the day this week, I saw the carpet of crocuses and daffodils blooming again around Heads Lane and Jenny Brough Lane, as they do every spring. They reminded me – as they always do – that out of the cold and dark, brightness always returns. Working in schools, we are in the business of optimism. Every day, we work with young people who have the potential to go out and make the world better, to solve its problems, to make a positive difference. No matter how difficult things are, the positivity and potential of our students make the job worthwhile. 

The Summer Term is where this potential can really grow. It will bring with it new challenges and opportunities including: 

• Bridge Day on Thursday 6th June 

• Careers Week starting on Monday 1st July 

• Sports Day Tuesday 16th July 

We’ll also encounter the shift in year groups as our Year 11 students complete their courses and sit their final exams and Year 10 move up into their place. This is where the positivity and potential mentioned earlier are really tested and where students are given that chance to mature and show what they are truly capable of. They’re no longer waiting for their time – their time is now. Over the last fortnight, some of our students have taken their chance to show what they are capable of and have demonstrated our values in the following ways: 

Mr Penny has issued praise for the aspiration demonstrated by Ruby in 10P3: “Has shown an excellent attitude to learning in recent Physics lessons, answering questions and getting on with work despite the difficulty of the subject.” 

and Mason in 10O2: “Always has done excellent work since the start of the year and is doing well due to the effort he puts in.” 

Mrs Brennan has praised the responsibility shown by Libby in 10A1: “Libby always brings cooking ingredients to her practicals and is always willing to give everything a go. She works hard in theory lessons and contributes well to verbal discussions showing good understanding of the topics. Keep working hard Libby.” 

and Cooper in 10O1: “Cooper always tries hard to bring cooking ingredients for his practicals and is always willing to give everything a go. He is enthusiastic and loves trying new things when we are experimenting. He is always engaged and listening which shows in his answers and he always contributes when having verbal discussions or questioning. Well done Cooper!” 

I’ll finish by returning to the theme of light and looking forwards. As I write this blog, I am reliably informed that sunset tonight will occur at 6.07pm but by the time we return on the 8th of April, it will be almost 8pm by the time the sun goes down. A huge leap forwards. I hope that the Summer term also brings some big leaps for Year 10 students in their journey towards Year 11 and success.  

Mr Riches

Head of Year 10

Mrs Lacey 

Assistant Head of Year 10

How do we demonstrate our values? 

In blogs earlier in the academic year, I have referred to the Hessle High School values on numerous occasions. As a school we often talk about the need to demonstrate Respect, Resilience, Aspiration, Responsibility, Integrity and Kindness but how do we actually do these things? How do we turn them from being a concept to a reality? Recently, I have spoken with a number of our students in Year 10 to highlight the steps they can take to demonstrate each of these values and asked them to reflect on how well they feel they embody each of them. To support these conversations, I’ve shared the graphic below as a way of highlighting the actions they can take and I am now sharing the same information with you so you are fully aware of our expectations in this area. 

Respect 

• We communicate with each other respectfully: we listen to each other, we are polite, we use appropriate language 

• We respect that the school has rules, and we follow them 

• We demonstrate self-respect by being the best version of ourselves 

 

Resilience 

• We attend school: at least 97% attendance (see the end of this blog for further details) 

• We don’t give up on challenging subjects 

• We work hard at relationships 

Aspiration 

• We don’t place a limit on our success 

• We engage with our careers programme (a reminder to return placement forms as soon as possible) 

• We engage with our work experience programme (appointments are currently taking place on a weekly rolling programme) 

Responsibility 

• We take ownership of our mistakes, including attending any detentions and engaging in the restorative process following any behaviour incidents 

• We maximise our learning time 

• We are prepared for learning: planners, equipment, uniform, and jewellery 

• We arrive on time to our lessons 

Integrity  

• We are honest with ourselves about our effort, work and behaviours 

• We know the difference between right and wrong and, when facing the choice, we do the right thing 

Kindness 

• We treat each other with kindness 

• We allow ourselves and others to learn 

• We carry out actions to support each other 

In addition to our academic achievement, we expect our students to develop socially and by making the effort to demonstrate these values, we aim to develop the character needed for success in the wider world. As you will see, these aren’t unrealistic or unachievable expectations, and they serve to make the school a better place for all of us.  

Attendance 

Over the coming weeks, students will notice the poster below around the school. It highlights the importance of regular attendance and how, over time, absences can add up to a significant amount of lost learning time. As you will have seen above, an overall figure of 97% is the minimum needed to be considered as having a “good” level of attendance and will help to secure the best educational outcomes for our students. Thank you for your continued support with attendance and giving our students the best opportunity to succeed.  

Mr Riches

Head of Year

Mrs Lacey 

Assistant Head of Year

Aiming High 

Firstly, welcome back. The run-up to the Christmas break was a long and tiring one for everyone involved so I hope that you were able to find an opportunity to relax and spend some time with those closest to you. As we often do at this time of the year, we now look to the future and, in Year 10, we do so with an eye on Year 11 and next year’s examinations. 

In our assembly this week, Mrs Meir spoke to the year group about their target grades for the end of Year 11 and our ambition for all students to maximise their potential. The target setting process provides each student with personalised target grades across the range of subjects of subjects they study. These targets are ambitious but, importantly, attainable. They will require work but are within the capabilities of every individual if they attend and engage during the remainder of Year 10 and Year 11. 

We often have conversations with students about fulfilling their potential, particularly in relation to exam grades. Too often these conversations include students’ desire to follow the “path of least resistance” whereby they are happy to achieve the minimum they need to move to the next step. As a school, we work to challenge this thought process and to encourage students to aim higher. This makes a difference for a number of reasons. Firstly, a higher grade can open the door to courses and careers you may want to follow or maybe haven’t even considered yet (and, according to DfE research, higher lifetime earnings). The greater the range of academic success, the more options you have to choose from when you move on to the next step. Furthermore, not only do you achieve a higher grade but by aiming high, you will acquire a greater wealth of knowledge and master a wider range of skills. Ultimately, this is the purpose of an academic education: to be able to know and do more than we otherwise would. This is why simply settling for the minimum is never enough when the opportunity to achieve so much more is in front of us.  

Of course, academic achievement on its own is not our only goal - without the personal and social skills required to succeed it will only take you so far. With this in mind, we continue to promote and develop a rounded sense of character through our Bridge programme and the pastoral support available within the school, equipping students with the skills they need to reach their aspirations. 

Careers update 

As you’ll be aware, this year has seen the return of the work experience programme for Year 10 and over 80% of parental consent forms were returned to school before the Christmas deadline. The next stage of this process is to secure placements and return the completed placement forms to school. The deadline for completion of this is Friday 26th February which then allows the relevant visits and checks to be completed. If you are struggling to find a suitable placement or have any questions about the process, please contact Miss Lawes for additional support and guidance. 

We have also recently started the initial round of Careers Guidance Interviews with Year 10 students, conducted by our external advisor Graeme Peart. These initial interviews will then be followed in Year 11 with additional support to help students identify suitable pathways for their post-16 education and beyond, as we continue to raise aspirations. 

Well done 

Finally, a huge “Well done” to students in 10cd/En4 for how well you are currently working. After I dropped into your lesson earlier this week, Mr Burnett visited me to sing your praises. He couldn’t speak highly enough of the attitudes and atmosphere in your lessons and how much he enjoys teaching the class. Keep up the good work.  

Mr Riches

Head of Year 10

Mrs Lacey

Assistant Head of Year 10

As we reach the end of our first term as Year 10, it is an opportune moment to focus on some of the positive contributions students have made to the school. 

Firstly, house points: 

• This term has seen a huge number of points issued to students in Year 10 with 32,359 points being awarded since September 

• Five students have achieved over 250 points each  

• One student has achieved 300 points already (an outstanding achievement) 

By looking in the student planner you will be able to see where these points are being awarded and how many your child is achieving each week. Having spoken to a number of you in recent weeks, I know you are monitoring this at home using the Arbor parent app and this is a great way to keep up to date with the achievements and rewards being issued. If you haven’t already downloaded it, I would encourage you to do so to help students to hit the next benchmark and continue earning rewards. 

In previous blogs, I’ve mentioned some of the values of the school. Over the last fortnight, I have asked the teachers and tutors of Year 10 to send me their “Student Shout-Outs”, highlighting where these values have been demonstrated by our year group. I’ve been exceptionally proud to read some of the words from staff and will share these with students individually and during our celebration assembly next term. To give you a sample of the comments I’ve received, I’ve included some anonymised feedback highlighting what staff have been saying about our learners. 

Aspiration: 

• “A great start to maths in Year 10, always attempting the most challenging questions and going above and beyond with homework tasks.” -  Mr Fox 

• “Brilliant effort and dedication in completing a whole term’s homework before the deadline for the first task!” – Miss Hughes 

Respect 

• “Always asks me how I am each morning – I really appreciate that” – Mrs Groak 

• “This student has shown the utmost respect in the classroom for her learning. She works hard, listens to instructions and shows her understanding in the work produced – well done!” – Miss Lewis 

Responsibility 

• “Deciding to focus on work and move himself to concentrate better. It’s paid off – super work in class” – Mrs Groak 

Resilience 

• “This student has been very dedicated to improving her singing. She has stayed after school a number of times to rehearse, and also contributed to the open evening.” – Mrs Webb 

• “This student has smashed every maths problem I have thrown at her. She is respectful and strives to do her best every time. Well done!” – Mrs Phetla 

Integrity 

• “This student shows real integrity and responsibility in his BTEC IT lessons. He completes all his work to the best of his ability. He also provides support to his peers if he sees they are struggling with certain IT concepts. He is a pleasure to have in the group, always greeting me with a polite and mature comment when he enters my room.” – Mr Leckenby 

This is just a sample of a much more extensive list of positive comments from teaching staff which exemplifies what it means to be in Year 10. I’m incredibly proud of their achievements and am looking forward to sharing more of these comments with them in the future. 

Finally, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone involved for their continued hard work and efforts during this first term. I wish all students a safe and restful break and look forward to seeing them all again next half-term, refreshed and ready to go. 

Mr Riches

Head of Year 10

Mrs Lacey 

Assistant Head of Year 10