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Hessle High School

Headteacher Blog

Welcome

On this page you will find a weekly informative blog from Mr Groak, Headteacher.

Page 1

  • WEEK 13 - Friday 6 December 2024

    Published 09/12/24

    In September, we were proud to open the first Enhanced Resource Provision (ERP) for Cognition and Learning in the East Riding.  This came about following lengthy discussions between the local authority and school and Trust leaders to determine whether this was a feasible option for a mainstream school.   

    Five years ago, this would not have been an option for the school.  Since then, we have seen a number of students with very specific Special Educational Needs join us in the school and seen them thrive.  I have mentioned Anya Findlay in this blog before and Anya, who left the school last summer and who has Down’s Syndrome, left a genuine legacy in our school.  Through her five years with us, we learned as much from her as she did from us and, in her slipstream, came similar students, Lara and Mia.  The skills and ability of our staff to educate and support these students grew and, a couple of years ago, we began to see a rise in the number of families applying for places at our school on the back of the reputation we had gained for supporting students like those girls. 

    This led Jo Anderson (our SEND Coordinator, Assistant Head and member of staff at Hessle for over twenty years) to begin the process of bidding for an ERP for similar students.  This makes us a local centre of expertise and provision, comes with appropriate funding to recruit more staff and enables us to build the staff skillset to further our work. 

    We are now almost a term into this provision and delighted that it has been as successful as we had hoped.  It will take time to fully develop our provision but the outcome of this is that a number of students, who might otherwise have struggled to cope in a mainstream school, can enjoy their educational journey in a large school with a bustling and vibrant student population and ‘fit in’ and belong.  That is priceless for the students but also an enriching experience for all of our other students who learn about diversity and respect through their daily interactions with each other. 

    No performance tables or Ofsted inspection framework can measure the impact of this on young people.  We do it because it is the right thing to do and changes lives. 

    ***  

    This week, we held our now-annual Christmas Fayre.  Over recent weeks, students have spent some time in their tutor groups planning the products and activities they would bring to the Fayre and it culminated on Wednesday during lunchtimes and after school.  There was a lovely atmosphere with students, staff and parents browsing the stalls, buying cakes and gifts, playing games and contributing to the four House Charities.  The amount raised was phenomenal and will be revealed to the students in their end of term celebrations.  The House system in school helps students across different year groups to mingle and socialise in a way that doesn’t happen in normal classes and I am very grateful to the four members of staff who, this year, are leading their Houses – Mr Adams, Miss Foster, Miss Deveney and Mr Griffiths and to Mrs Bourne who coordinates them.  And finally thank you to those who supported by buying their wares. 

    ***  

    As we reach the end of Week 13, we are now a third of the way through the school year and there are some key events coming up.  Aside from Christmas, we have multiple visits for students and those in Year 9 will, after the holidays, begin their pathways process with a series of assemblies informing them about Key Stage 4 and the options process. 

    Students in Year 7 and Year 8 will begin new topics after Christmas as they progress through their Key Stage 3 curriculum and students in Year 10 will begin new GCSE units and coursework continues in earnest.  Students in Year 11, of course, are counting down the days to their real GCSE exams but before that will face another round of Mock Exams in February.  Lots going on and the cycle of another academic year moves around again. 

    However you are spending this weekend, stay warm and safe and thank you for your support.   

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

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  • WEEK 12 - Friday 29 November 2024

    Published 29/11/24

    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

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  • WEEK 11 - Friday 22 November 2024

    Published 22/11/24

    The coldest city on earth is a place called Yakutsk, in Siberia.  Average winter temperatures are minus 55 celsius, and can be as low as minus 70.   If you turn off your car engine and leave it outside, the engine will freeze and you won’t move it until Spring, mobile phones don’t work outside and if you were to be foolish enough to touch anything with your bare skin, you may well lose a finger or two. 

    But I swear that Yakutsk wasn’t as cold as it has been at times this week here in school.  The cold snap, whilst forecast, has certainly come as a shock to the system this week and, as I have explained in my letter sent to all parents this week, we have found ourselves in the position of reacting to events rather than planning for them.  That is never a good position to be in and I hope that the changes made towards the end of the week will have made things more comfortable for students and reassured parents too. Thank you for support with this. 

    Despite the cold snap, the students have responded with resilience and toughness this week.  As I told the students in Years 9 and 10 this week, the easiest thing to do on mornings like we have seen this week, is to turn over again in bed and give in to a sniffle.  But our students are tougher than that and I was delighted to see such high levels of attendance this week, with no discernible difference to the norm. 

    One of the things we have spoken to Key Stage 4 students about recently is the importance of the choices that we make when we are young, for they undoubtedly inform the choices we will be able to make when we are older. 

    Choosing to attend school, be punctual and work hard is not easy; it is hard.  But it is worth it for the options it opens for us in later life and the choices it presents us when we become adults.  To demonstrate this, we played the Marshmallow Experiment video clip, which I have shared with you before.  This explores the concept of Deferred Gratification – whereby those people who can resist immediate gratification are the people who demonstrate the most success in life.  We see this in sports – those people who sacrifice time and energy to train to become great athletes; we see it in the arts – those people who nurture a talent through deliberate practice to master a musical instrument or dancing or other forms of art.  And we can see it in other walks of life, where the effort we expend in studying hard, revising and practising enables us to perform well in our exams, and in our careers. 

    I am an occasional runner and sometimes people ask me where my motivation comes from, to which I reply that I don’t have any motivation to run.  I hate it.  It hurts.  But I have just about enough discipline to get my trainers on and go for a run from time to time.  I do not have as much discipline as many others who run further and faster.  But I understand that if I were to rely on motivation, I will never go running.  Discipline is what is needed.  And that is what we also tell our students.  It is important. 

    Whilst sitting in my office one night after school this week, I heard the sound of Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody drifting from a nearby classroom.  It was the sound of some of our musicians rehearsing for the Christmas Concert where they will perform at the All Saints Church in Hessle in December.  Suddenly, we have gone from mid-Autumn to Christmas.  This time of year often catches me out – I have agreed to put our tree up next weekend, even though it only seems a few weeks since we put it away! 

    Needless to say, our weekends are now given over to planning for Christmas, seeing friends, shopping and planning.  Although tonight we are planning to watch Blitz – a new movie just released on Apple TV.  Parts of this were filmed in Hull in 2023 and my daughter was enlisted into the cast as an extra in the scenes filmed in Paragon Station.  So we will be watching keenly hoping that she appears on screen – her first movie role! 

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

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

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  • WEEK 10 - Friday 15 November 2024

    Published 15/11/24

    “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

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  • WEEK 9 - Friday 8 November 2024

    Published 08/11/24

    I write this between appointments at our Sixth Form Parents Evening event.   

    I teach Business Studies to Year 13 students only and so this is the first opportunity for me to meet the parents of this year’s group of students.  So far, I have met warm, friendly and passionately supportive parents willing to do whatever they can to support their child in the final year of their compulsory education.  This brings a responsibility to myself, and Mrs Smith, my co-teacher in the subject, to ensure that we provide meaningful information and helpful advice and suggestions on how they can help their child to improve and develop. 

    But parents’ evenings present perennial dilemmas for all schools and the following questions are ones we ask ourselves every year as we try to promote cooperation and engagement: 

    • How do we persuade parents/carers to attend? 

    • How do we ensure staff have the energy, after five hours of teaching, to sit through three hours of non-stop discussion with parents? 

    • Some of our staff teach over a hundred students in each year group.  How do we schedule appointments for these without extending the event until midnight? 

    • How do we train staff to have meaningful conversations within a five-minute slot? 

    • How do we handle parents who expect and demand more time with some staff? 

    • How do we support parents with limited understanding of the education system, to support their child effectively? 

    Each parents’ evening interaction has the potential, even in five minutes, to be magical, the catalyst for further communication and the unlocking of support that genuinely makes a difference.  Many, of course, serve to reinforce what is already well understood on all sides, namely that the majority of students are doing just fine and need only to keep going.  It is the small minority where, for a multitude of reasons, a student has lost their way, has become disengaged and cannot be reached by teacher or parent.  That is where the collaboration really needs to work, which always takes more than five minutes. 

    Some of my funniest and frustrating memories are of parents’ evenings, such as the time when a parent, who looked familiar, turned up.  She didn’t have an appointment and, although I recognised her, I couldn’t remember her child’s name.  After a moment of bland pleasantries, I gave up and asked the name of her child which she gave me.  “But Tommy left school last year!” I told her. 

    “I know he did,” she said, “but I just wanted to come and let you know how he was getting on and to say ‘hello’”.  Lovely, but crackers. 

    There was also the occasion, very early in my career, when I first met the dad of a student that had been giving me a real run around for weeks.  Nothing I tried could persuade this lad to behave for me, or to take any interest in learning about business’ liquidity ratio.  So I was delighted when dad turned up and I spent five minutes explaining how his son needed to get to my lessons on time, follow my instructions, do his homework, not mess about, not be rude and so on.   

    “Well, if you can get him to do all that, Mr Groak,” he said, “then you’re a better man than me, ‘cos I’ve given up on the little bugger!” 

    One of the worst nightmares for a teacher is when a parent arrives with child and sits down - and you don’t know the name of the child.  As stated before, if you are a teacher of PE, RE, DT etc then you might teach many hundreds of children, and it can take all year to remember their names.  So this situation is always difficult and prone to embarrassment.  I always advise staff to be open and to ask for the student name; much better than guessing and then spending five minutes talking about a different child.  You can imagine how problematic that could be! 

    My thanks to the parents and carers of our Sixth Form students for attending and hope the evening was a productive one. 

    ***  

    It has been a nice and calm start to the new half term.  Thankfully the weather is fine and dry at the moment and so the field remains open for the students at unstructured time which always helps with school management.   

    The continued high levels of attendance are also bearing fruit.  When students attend regularly, they make better progress, but it also leads to greater consistency in behaviour and relationships between peers.  I thank you for your ongoing support which has led to a 2.5% increase in our overall attendances this year, compared to last year. 

    ***  

    Finally, this is a busy weekend for my family as we are heading down to Surrey for a family birthday party.  Weekends away are quite rare in term time and, although it will be nice to get away, I will be taking my laptop with me as there is no way that I can avoid having to do a couple of hours work setting up for next week.  I will do that on Saturday morning after a run along the River Thames in Surrey, which is always a joy.   

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

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

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  • WEEK 8 - Friday 25 October 2024

    Published 04/11/24

    “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. 

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  • WEEK 7 - Friday 18 October 2024

    Published 18/10/24

    Three weeks ago, I asked parents to complete a short survey to give us feedback on the school-to-home communication methods that we use.  Over three hundred of you replied across all year groups, giving us a nice cross section of opinion. 

    It was clear that there are some elements of our current communication strategy that most of you are happy with, and some that you are not.  And there are others where opinions ‘divide the room’.  Some of you, for example, enjoy my weekly ramblings about Hull FC, my family activities and Bruce Springsteen - and some of you hate it and wish I’d stick to talking about the students in our school!  I know that I will never please everyone but the views are noted and I shall ensure that coverage of our students in school is never lost as my main focus. 

    What also came through is that some of our communication could be packaged more effectively, sent in a different format and targeted better.  For that reason, after half term, we will be introducing The Eagle – a year-group newsletter. 

    The Eagles is named for The Golden Eagle which was the name of the Hessle High School yearbook when it was published in the 1950s and 1960s.  The modern-day iteration will be digitally produced and sent by email with a text message link. 

    Each edition will arrive half termly and will focus on the activity in each year group, therefore there will be five sent out each time.  This will allow you to find the curriculum information and extra-curricular news more easily for your child.  There will still be links available for all other year groups if you wish to peruse those too. 

    The Eagle will also incorporate the Head of Year Blog meaning that this will be sent less often but will introduce, and seek to capture the theme of, each newsletter. 

    We, as ever, are indebted to our staff for providing the content for this and to one of our ex-students, Amy Harrington, who is currently our Digital Media Officer, who will be designing and putting the newsletter together. 

    ***  

    This week, we have asked all our tutors to communicate with parents/carers.  This may have been by telephone or email.  In the case of Year 7, we invited you into school to meet in person.  I have been delighted with the levels of engagement and the feedback from families.  I know that, in the busy school environment, we do not shine sufficient light on those students who do the right thing every day in school; they attend, work hard and model our school values.  This was an attempt to put that tight and to let families know that their child’s diligence is recognised.  As ever, your feedback on this event is greatly appreciated. 

    ***  

    Attendance to school remains a real positive theme at the start of the new year.  On average, this is 2.5% higher this year than it was at the same time last year and almost now in line with our pre-Covid average.  We know that the best place for children to be each day, is in school and we are already seeing even better behaviour and progress due to the continuity of attendance.  Thank you, as always, for your support with this. 

    ***  

    And so, this weekend, I will be spending most of my time with my son, as my daughter and wife are heading to Birmingham to see Becky Hill in concert.  Not really our cup of tea, so we shall we be watching sport and probably cooking up some good food.  And hopefully enjoying some more sunshine! 

    Whatever you are doing, enjoy it and thanks again for your support.

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

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  • WEEK 6 - Friday 11 October 2024

    Published 11/10/24

    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

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  • WEEK 5 - Friday 4 October 2024

    Published 04/10/24

    It has been a tough season for Hull FC in 2024 but last week, at the Club’s End of Season Awards event, forward Jordan Lane won the Player of the Year Award.  A worthy recipient after playing almost every game in a multitude of positions, topping the tackle count and even finishing the season kicking the goals. 

    I have followed Jordan’s career closely as he is an ex-Hessle High School student.  As is Brad Fash, who won the same award last season and who has become something of a household name due to his eye catching ‘mullet’ hairdo. 

    Brad and Jordan left Hessle over a decade ago now and have enjoyed successful careers, playing regularly in Super League.  The third member of the trio from that era is Jez Litten, who also started at Hull FC but who is now a regular at Hull KR.   Arguably, Jez has enjoyed even greater individual success, playing (and scoring) at Wembley in 2023 and also being capped for England in 2023, as well as being named in the international squad for this Autumn’s international series against Samoa.  Another ex-student, Zeus Silk, is also currently playing in the Championship with Featherstone FC. 

    All the school staff are very proud of what these guys have achieved with their careers to date and hope that they can continue to sustain their playing careers for as long as possible, before finding fruitful post-playing careers too.   

    Whilst these have been the most successful for a long time, there is not a year that goes by that does not see a number of our boys chosen as part of the scholarship or academy programmes at either of our two professional clubs. 

    At this time, we currently have James Tann and Harrison Turner on the Hull FC Under 16 Scholarship programme and Harry Moore and Riley Dunn on the Hull KR scholarship. 

    Recent ex-students, Owen Briggs and Kirils Prigorkins, are both also on the Hull FC Academy roster.   

    Naturally, we have many other youngsters who are pursuing their sporting and artistic dreams whilst studying at our school.  They are the very best representation of our school values of resilience and aspiration, and we are very proud of them. 

    ***  

    Last week, I mentioned the upcoming post-16 Open Evenings to be held on our two 6th Form Campuses at Wolfreton and Hessle.  Next week, all Year 11 students will be given more information about these events in school assemblies.   

    We also have a significant surprise for all prospective students too, which will be revealed in the Assembly.   

    If your son or daughter is currently in Year 11, please come along to either or both Open Evenings on the 10th October (Wolfreton) and 15th October (Hessle) to find out more about our joint offer. 

    *** 

    We have over 250 of our students arriving each day on one of our school buses.  These are all scheduled to arrive on the school site by 8.20am.  However, due to the patterns of usage and heavy traffic, they have frequently arrived on site later than this, causing disruption to the start of the school day.  No student that arrives on a school bus is marked late. 

    However, to address this I wrote to you earlier this week with new timetables which will take effect from Monday 7th October; this will see earlier departures by up to 10 minutes.  Please check the times carefully and ensure that your child is at the stop in good time to catch the bus.  Thank you.   

    ***  

    Finally, today marks the start of Hull Fair.  Whether you love it or hate it, it is here for the next ten days.  My son has almost grown out of what the fair has to offer and is now more interested in how his money could be spent on something else, whereas my daughter is of the age where it is unthinkable not to go to the fair.  So, at some stage over the next two weekends, we will be making our pilgrimage and hoping for reasonable weather. 

    Whatever you are doing and whether you will visit the fair or not, have a lovely weekend and thank you once more for your enduring support. 

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

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  • WEEK 4 - Friday 27 September 2024

    Published 27/09/24

    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

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  • WEEK 3 - Friday 20 September 2024

    Published 20/09/24

    Last Monday, we launched a new initiative at Hessle High School – our Year 11 Aiming Higher programme.  Before I tell you about it, let me go back forty years or so. 

    When I was fifteen, I attended what might have been called a ‘bog-standard’ comprehensive in North Hull.  In the 1980s, it provided a decent level of education but the combination of the times and the state of education in England meant that few pupils were particularly motivated, and levels of ambition were low.  My parents had never been to university, and I didn’t know anyone that had.  My dad was what the economists used to call ‘cyclically unemployed’.  Which basically meant that, in the summer, he worked round the clock painting the new houses being built on Bransholme and, in the winter when you couldn’t paint the outsides of houses, he was laid off.  After a few years of getting fed up with this, my dad took a few jobs working overseas.  When I think of him doing that, the TV Series Auf Wiedersehn Pet springs to mind.  

    Anyway, when he came back, he and my mum had a newfound determination to make sure that my sister and I did not struggle for work like he had.  I was bright, doing well at school and, during one parents evening, a teacher said, “Vince really ought to be thinking about going to university”. 

    Until then, nobody had even broached it as an idea in our family.  My parents made it clear that, if I wanted to go, they would do whatever it took to make sure I could do it.  Further sacrifices were made and, in 1987, I unpacked my stuff into a tiny house in Headingley and began to study Economics at Leeds Polytechnic.  

    So, on reflection, lots of things fell into place to enable me to go to Leeds Poly (it’s now called Leeds Met University).  Firstly, a teacher planted the idea.  Second, my parents decided that they would support me in going no matter what and, thirdly, going to university was suddenly the goal I needed to force me to work hard and realise my potential. 

    If any one of those things hadn’t happened, my academic potential would not have been realised and the life I currently lead, one which has been enriched through education in so many ways, would have been very different. 

    Why am I telling you all of this, you may ask?    

    If my life was determined by a series of fortunate events, I do not want any students at Hessle to rely on good luck for their future success. 

    We are committed to providing the best careers service possible and all our students are given individual support and advice to get where they want to be.  But we believe that we can go even further and challenge the students to be even more ambitious for themselves. 

    So this week, we have spoken to students about the benefits of going to university.  We’ve told them about the Graduate Premium (where the average extra income of a graduate is £130,000 lifetime earnings higher than a non-graduate; and where, for 10% of graduates, it is over half a million pounds).  We’ve also given them a reality check about student debt (informing them nobody pays anything back until they start earning £25,000 and even on £40,000 the repayments are only 3% of the salary). 

    And we’ve also pointed out that the market for university places is uniquely open for anyone.  All universities charge the same tuition fees, whether it is Oxbridge, another Russell Group institution, or any other less prestigious university.  The only thing stopping anyone getting a place is the grades needed to do so. 

    And then we’ve told them that, actually, university isn’t for everyone.  We know that. 

    When I left my school in 1987, I went to university and a very good friend of mine, with similar grades, decided at the last minute not to go (a girl was involved!).  Instead, he went onto a successful career in banking.  But the point is, he had given himself the choice.  University had given him the focus he needed and, when he’d got the grades, he then opted for another route.  And that’s fine too. 

    Next week, we will be talking to the students about how high performing students make the most of their talents to become those students who get the highest grades.  Talent plays some part, but most of it is down to hard work and belief. 

    Already, our careers advisor has reported a higher number of students asking her about the grades that are needed to access certain courses at university.  This is a programme we have been putting together for a good while last year and, once Year 11 have heard it, it will be the turn of students in Year 10, and then Year 9 and ultimately into Year 7 and Year 8 too. 

    I will keep you informed so that you can discuss it with your child in due course. 

    ***  

    In order to improve our home-school communication, we would like to find out what you think of the different means of communication that we use.  Please take a few minutes to complete the attached survey, and please feel free to leave suggestions and comments if you have them.  Many thanks. 

    *** 

    We are understandably experiencing a high number of people parking on Heads Lane at the end of the day.  This obviously slows down the flow of traffic in the area.  Please try to park as far away from the school as possible or use the school site visitors’ car park and turning route.  If you do park on Heads Lane, please ensure that you do so safely and within the highway regulations. 

    ***  

    This week I am a single parent whilst my wife, accompanied by four of our Hessle colleagues, is taking forty students on a school trip to Barcelona.  Our students have had some fantastic experiences in recent months; France a couple of times, London lots of times and a group even went to Kenya this summer.  This weekend, they will be exploring the Gothic Quarter, visiting the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, eating tapas in a local market, exploring the Gaudi Parc Guell and much else besides.  A fantastic opportunity for them. 

    Whilst my wife is away, I will be doing the family chores but also looking forward to spending some quality time with the kids.  I am trying to persuade our daughter to join me and her brother for the final game of the season at the MKM Stadium but she has already given me her blunt response, “I thought you loved me!  Why would you want to take me to see that rubbish.” I think I might need to find someone to take her shopping! 

    Whatever you are doing this weekend, have a good one and thank you as always for your support.   

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

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  • WEEK 2 - Friday 13 September 2024

    Published 13/09/24

    “Nothing makes your heart sing like hearing other people say nice things about your children.”   

    Mrs Anderson’s words to sign off last night’s KS4/5 Awards Evening not only summed up the night, but also the essence of the fantastic relationships that we have with our students and their families.  Last night’s event was the longest in some years (90 minutes) but, without doubt, the best.  The change of date evidently suited more families which enabled more people than ever to attend which meant the heart-felt, and often very funny, anecdotes and stories were received by a greater number of families. 

    For those that have not attended one of these events, we ask our Heads of Department and/or course leaders to come to the stage and to say a few words about the three students that have been nominated for an award, and then to reveal the winner.  They do this for Year 11 and then for Year 13 students.  Each year, they really raise their game with the words they choose to describe the nominees and winners, but also to give an insight into the magic that takes place in our classrooms.  

    Mrs O’Loughlin always sets the bar very high and took it to another level last night when sharing an email she received from a Year 11 student the night before a GCSE exams (“I was wondering whether I should follow the plan you’ve taught us, or just write whatever I feel like!”).  If you know Mrs O’Loughlin, you might be able to imagine her response to that.  

    One after the other, teachers and leaders came to the stage to pay tribute to the students; their talents but most of all, their resilience, hard work and character.  There were some terrific stories.  But first-time-presenter Mr Compton stole the show with his hilarious insight into the world of Further Maths!   

    My thanks to everyone that attended, including some of our ex-students that came back from their first week at university to pick up awards and to renew acquaintances.  Thanks also to the team at school that put on the event. 

    ***  

    In two weeks, we will be opening our doors for our Open Evening.  This is targeted at families where there is a child in Year 5 or 6 and who wishes to have a look around and find out more about Hessle High School.  All departments are represented, there will be performances from our music and drama students, sporting exhibitions, food tasting and I will be speaking several times so there are lots of opportunities to hear from me, on why you should consider Hessle High School.  Of course, most of you reading this have already made that decision but please feel free to inform any friends or neighbours if this might be relevant to them. 

    Our own daughter is currently in Year 6 in her Primary School and, although we don’t live in the catchment, she has insisted that she wants to come and visit, in order that she can ‘make a fully informed choice’.  I have warned her of the pitfalls of attending a school, where one parent works, let alone, in her case, where both her parents work, and one is the Headteacher.  But she is adamant that she wants to have a full look around and so she shall. 

    ***  

    Finally, thank you for your support so far this term.  We have experienced one of the most positives starts to a term that I can remember.  Attendance is up several percent and the students are showing admirable standards of behaviour and conduct.  Year 11 students appear focused on their learning, following a busy summer term which involved work experience and an extensive careers week, whilst Year 7 are impeccable in both appearance and conduct. 

    That is not to say that the years in between have not impressed!  All have returned with clear focus and positive attitudes.  Thank you. 

    The sun is currently shining so I hope it continues into the weekend and that you can all enjoy the late-summer weekend. 

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

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