Dear Parent/Carer,

 

I have had the great pleasure of meeting, and celebrating the successes and positive efforts of, those nominated pupils at our Principal’s lunches across this week. Pupils who have consistently upheld our values and expectations from each Year group were invited to have lunch with me and their respective Head of Learning. I enjoyed hearing what they value most about being a BHA student, with frequent responses being: supportive staff, enrichment clubs / trips on offer and engaging lessons.

 

I also gave them the opportunity to share with me one thing they would change / make better if I made them Principal for the day – unfortunately, I had to explain why I couldn’t meet their demands of having PE every day or no homework. They did, however, share some good suggestions on how we can support them further preparing for assessments / exams as well as more opportunities after school.

 

With the above theme of celebration in mind, I am looking forward to my first BHA Awards Evening next Thursday and recognising the achievements, positive attitudes and efforts of more of our fantastic pupils. This positive culture is a key driver to our school improvement journey and is testament to the consistent efforts and positive attitudes which all pupils in our Academy are capable of. I look forward to sharing more success with you over the remaining weeks of this academic year.

 

Consistency Across The Academy – Uniform Focus

As previously shared, we set the bar high for our pupils and expect them to adhere to our high standards, including uniform and conduct. This enables us to maximise learning time and focus positively on our core business of learning, personal development and progress. Therefore, even towards the end of this academic year, I thank you for supporting the Academy to reinforce these expectations with your child.  We will be reminding our pupils of our expectations during line ups, tutor times and assemblies, as well as ensuring we are continuing to reinforce these messages in lessons.

 

Year 6 Parents – Welcome Evening

We understand and appreciate that the transition process is not only important for pupils, but for parents / carers too. On Tuesday 2^nd July, we held our Transition Welcome Evening for our new parents and carers, which involved a short presentation on aspects of school life at BHA and gave parents / carers an opportunity to meet with key staff, including their child’s Form Tutor, where they introduced themselves and talked through the September start and our collective high standards and expectations.

 

Year 6 Pupils – Transition Days

Following the success of the above Welcome Evening, we welcomed our Year 6 pupils from a wide range of different primary schools for their Transition Days on Wednesday 3^rd and Thursday 4^th July. It was my pleasure to welcome the Year group in their first BHA assembly and we were impressed with how they presented themselves, how polite and respectful they were, and how positively they embraced our expectations and staff.

 

These days are a very important part of the transition process as they gave the children a chance to spend a couple of days getting to understand the BHA way, our expectations and routines to ensure a smooth start in September.

 

Wider Pupil Leadership – Keele University Visit

As are part of the Uni Connect Programme, funded by the Government to deliver free and impartial Higher Education outreach to schools and colleges across Staffordshire and Cheshire, our Yr 10 Pupil Leadership Team enjoyed a taste of university life on a two-day residential trip to Keele University. During the visit, our Leadership Team got the chance to experience a typical day on campus, increasing their knowledge of Higher Education and qualifications on offer. Pupil feedback was very positive and they particularly highlighted that the campus tour really inspired them and opened their minds towards the possibility of going into Higher Education in the future.

 

Parent Forum

A reminder that our next Parent Forum meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday 11^th July at 9.30am until 11am.  Parent Forums are where a small number of parents / carers can meet the Principal and members of the Leadership Team for an opportunity to speak about the BHA vision, school improvement and to address any queries or misconceptions. If you are interested in attending the Parent Forum meeting, please contact J Bracegirdle on jbracegirdle@bircheshead.org.uk by Tuesday 9^th July.

 

Dates for the diary

Thursday 11^th July: BHA Awards Evening

Monday 15^th July: Experience Week begins

Friday 19^th July: Pupils finish at 12.10pm for Summer Holidays

Tuesday 20^th & Wednesday 21^st August: Summer School

Thursday 22^nd August: Yr 11 Results Day

Tuesday 27^th & Wednesday 28^th August: Summer School

 

I thank you for your continued support and, as always, please do contact us if you need this information in any other language or format, or if you have any follow up questions.

 

You can contact the office by email on info@bircheshead.org.uk.

 

Yours sincerely,

Mr P Masher

Principal