Skip to content ↓

Hessle High School

Headteacher Blog

Welcome

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

January 2024

Archive

  • WEEK 18 - Friday 26 January 2024

    Published 26/01/24

    There has been a lot of discussion in the media in recent months about the breakdown in the ‘social contract’ between school and home which is an explanation for the lower levels of attendance seen in schools. There is no doubt some truth in this following several periods where the Government and school leaders were telling young people that they didn’t need to come into school or that school wasn’t safe for them. Whilst this seemed like the right thing to do at the time, we will probably look back on those decisions and recognise them as being mistaken. The long-term consequences on children’s mental health and educational habits will take years to unpick and resolve, a situation made worse by the fact that funding for schools to do this work was nowhere near the level that was recommended by Sir Kevan Collins, who was actually appointed by the Government to investigate. 

    Despite this, there is clearly a Venn-diagram-type relationship between those students that are struggling to attend and wider measures of health and economic hardship. It would be easy to catastrophise the situation and write off an entire generation of young people. The reality is that current national attendance in secondary schools is around 92% - about 3% lower than it was before the pandemic. And whilst this is a lot of young people nationwide, the overwhelming majority have made good adjustments and are thriving. 

    Attendance in our Years 9, 10 and 11 is not where we want it to be and we are working hard to put that right but those that are in school regularly are doing brilliantly. They have responded well to the changes in our behaviour policy and behaviour and attitudes are strong. Year 11 students in particular are showing a real commitment to doing well in their GCSEs in the summer; turnout to revision is high and over 120 of them have today enjoyed their breaktime in our sixth Form centre after receiving their formal offer to join the consortium Sixth Form on our campus. This follows over 80% attendance at the recent Progress evening and over 65% in attendance for the Success Event last week (which I mentioned in last week’s blog). 

    In Year 9, we had the best ever attendance for that year group’s parents evening last night with over 82% of parents/carers in attendance and this sets us up nicely for the Options Process, something with which the students are already engaging strongly. 

    I haven’t mentioned Year 7 and 8 but their attendance is already above the national average and they’re just fabulous! 

    This weekend is the final one of what I am now calling my ‘annual hibernation’, where I basically plan nothing and use the weekend to rest, catch up on work and get out for a run where possible. It makes for a dull January to be honest but the upcoming Spring offers plenty of reasons for optimism. The sun is shining as I speak and there is lots of laughter as the students outside organise themselves for a game of netball after school. Pretty soon, the nights will be noticeably longer, and the rugby league season starts! And here we go again. 

    Have a lovely weekend and thank you for your support.

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

    Read More

  • WEEK 17 - Friday 19 January 2024

    Published 19/01/24

    The topic of ‘accountability’ has come up repeatedly in my work and thinking this week. Firstly, it is the theme of some work I am doing to secure my NPQEL (an executive leadership qualification for school leaders); in one of the sections, we were asked to think about how we create a culture of accountability, where people are held to account but where they also take responsibility for their actions, behaviour and crucially for their mistakes.

    Then it arose again in some collaboration work I was doing with fellow Trust Leaders yesterday, where we explored the Nolan Principles of Public Life and, in particular, how we, as school and Trust leaders, accept accountability and ensure we have processes in place to hold ourselves, and others, to account.

    Finally, after a bit of a gap, I have found my way back into watching old episodes of ‘The West Wing’ recently and was reminded of a quotation in the show which was attributed to an ex-mayor of New York who said, ‘If a sparrow breaks a wing in Central Park, I feel responsible.’

    That overwhelming sense of responsibility is something we all feel as school leaders, as we accept the presence of over 1400 young people onto our site each day, and a further 450+ at Penshurst and keep them safe and educated.

    The dual notions of accountability and responsibility I find fascinating and although the two terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. ‘Accountability’ relates to the outcomes of the work we do, e.g. we are accountable for the outcomes of the students we teach. ‘Responsibility’ relates to the actions we demonstrate e.g. we take responsibility for providing strong teaching etc. The ability to take responsibility also depends upon having the resources and the decision-making autonomy to be able to do a job and so there is a subtle difference between the two concepts. Crucially, it is in the space between those two where frustration of school staff and leaders often exists.

    A good example relates to school attendance. We are held accountable for our attendance levels and do everything we can to encourage and promote it but ultimately the responsibility to come into school rests with the student, and parents. Similarly, we are held accountable for examination outcomes but often do not have the resources or specialist teachers to carry out our responsibilities to deliver high quality teaching and examination preparation.

    We are not alone; these kind of pressures exist everywhere and especially in public services where expectations are high, but resources low. In education, one of the biggest pressures comes from Ofsted and there has been a lot of coverage recently of the new Head of Ofsted who has started work this month. Already, he is beginning to reassure schools that Ofsted’s approach is going to be more empathetic to some of the pressures and issues I have mentioned above. Let’s hope that is the case. Closing the gap between levels of accountability and the ability to take responsibility would be a welcome way to reduce the pressure on schools, and to solving the long-term problem of recruiting and retaining teachers.

    On a loosely-related subject, it was great to see such a high turnout last night for our Year 11 Success Evening. The hall and canteen were packed whilst students and parents/carers waited patiently to speak to Heads of Department and other leaders about how best to support their child in the final weeks before the exams start. It was great to see so much responsibility being taken on all sides and a real boost for staff to see such high levels of engagement and support. Thank you to those that attended and to my staff who met with parents but who also organised and set up the event. It was great work.

    Similarly, Year 11 students have also been attending Trust-led revision classes this week, held at the University of Hull. One cohort went out on Tuesday and other goes out on Monday. Lessons had been planned collaboratively by teachers across our schools and the feedback from the students was really positive with some wishing they could do it every week! Thanks again to all who supported this.

    After a busy and cold week, I’m looking forward to a rest this weekend. I have some A Level Mock Exam Papers to mark and an outstanding list of unfinished work to complete but I will make sure there is time for rest too. I’m told by my kids that I am taking them to the cinema tomorrow afternoon and that we’re watching ‘Wonka’. I don’t object; life is much easier when I’m told what to do on a weekend.

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

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

    Read More

  • WEEK 16 - Friday 12 January 2024

    Published 12/01/24

    On Tuesday morning, in my Year 11 Assembly, I talked to them about the brevity of their time left in our school and the fact that there were now just 73 school days before their first formal GCSE examination (there are now only 69!).  In fact, even that isn’t true as they are doing GCSE and BTEC assessments all the time, in the form of coursework and the like.  It is the biggest year of their lives to date but I always try to reassure them that they are not alone and surrounded by a team of staff whose job it is to help young people like them every year.  We know what we're doing, and they just need to play their part, do as they told and engage fully.  It has the potential to work spectacularly well and we will continue to reiterate the importance of taking up every opportunity that is offered to them. 

    This next few weeks is significant for Year 11 and we try to capture the work that is going on in our Year 11 Success Bulletin which is sent to parents and students each fortnight.  Here it is, for those that may have missed it or who wish to see what is coming when your child reaches that age. Next week is another big week for them. On Tuesday, some of our Year 11s will be heading to the University of Hull for a revision day, along with students of the same age across our Trust. This is the first event of its kind and demonstrates the power of collaborative working across our schools. I am sure the students will rise to the occasion and get a lot out of it. Then there is the Success Event on Thursday evening for all students and parents, where there will be range of revision material available as well as tips and advice that can help the revision. I will also speak to parents about the remaining support available in the run up to exams.  

    To that end, I must remind you of our Year 11 Mock Interview Day coming up on Friday 2 February.  this is the date each year on which only Year 11 students are in school, with other students working from home.  This gives us the unique opportunity to bring in a swathe of business visitors to provide interview and mentoring support for our year 11s, followed by an intensive target setting session with their teachers.  Above and beyond the benefits of the day, this is also a watershed for some; the day on which everything drops into place and they recognise that now is the time to really step up their preparations for the summer’s exams. 

    We have written to the students outlining what is expected of them on the day and I would like to thank all parents in all year groups for your support with this event. 

    *** 

    Whilst there is a great deal going on ‘under our noses’ each day, this is the time of year when we begin to look firmly ahead to the next year as we advance our curriculum and staffing plans, in conjunction with our colleagues in the Central Team.  This gathers pace on Tuesday when I will present our requirements for next year, teaching and non-teaching staff, and seek their support to begin our recruitment.  We must start early as it is common for school staff to be looking for new challenges this early in the year even if it means they do not actually move until September.  We have a strong record of recruiting well due in part to getting in there early and we hope it will be the same again.  That said, our numbers on roll are closing in on our capacity and so we do not anticipate being too active this year. 

    ***  

    Like most people, I watched the ITV drama, Mr Bates versus The Post Office recently.  It was a tough watch and, ironically, my wife and I finished the final episode on Sunday evening before returning to school on Monday morning.  The contrast between the chronic lack of integrity shown by Post Office leaders on TV and the enthusiasm and selflessness shown by my colleagues in school on Monday was stark.  Their commitment to plan and prepare great lessons and resources for your children was humbling.  I am very lucky to work in a sector where honesty, integrity and public service are taken so seriously.  

    The theme of Monday was through-school collaboration and so we had all our Academy staff on our Heads Lane site (including Penshurst colleagues).  This made for a great atmosphere, as secondary staff learned more about the teaching of phonics from their primary colleagues, and the primary team got to spend the morning in the Sixth Form centre, where I reminded them of the importance of their work (all the way back to when children are in nursery and reception) in developing the young people that occupy the Sixth Form centre each day.  It will not be too long before our first ‘through-school’ student reaches the Sixth Form having spent all their school life within our single organisation.  It is an exciting thought. 

    Finally, I have felt a renewed energy this week after a very relaxing Xmas and New Year break.  We were fortunate to visit Sicily for the first time over New Year and it was a wonderful experience full of great moments, such as climbing Mount Etna (at least a little way), experiencing Palermo on New Years’ Eve (not for the faint hearted) and even paddling in the sea in January.  The kids absolutely loved it, and I can confirm that I did manage to visit Vitelli’s Bar, the iconic setting for a famous scene from The Godfather Part 2.  Another thing ticked off the bucket list. 

    This is a much shorter term than the previous one but absolutely jam-packed with activity and events so high energy levels are essential for all of us to bring our best to our school, and our students. 

    Enjoy the weekend and thank you as always for your ongoing support. 

    Mr Groak

    Headteacher

     

    Read More
The Consortium Academy Trust
Cookie Policy