Hello to all our year 7 students and their families, 

The mornings are starting to feel damper, mist hovers across the school fields, and the leaves are starting to turn colour; it is my favourite season and a time of year where diaries are filling up for everybody. This week the promise of a trip to Hull Fair, if behaviour is good at school, has been hot on the lips of our 7s; with tales of visits to Hull Fair being heard each morning- along with how much sugar has been consumed! It has reminded me how important tradition is for our students and how much time with their friends and family is treasured. It has also set me up to track memories over the coming years that we can all reflect on in the future. 

One of these early moments, future memories, is how well the students have listened to some very moving life experiences in the past 2 weeks; how they show sympathy and empathy towards others and discuss what they have heard with maturity. Last Friday the students listened to one of Humberside Police’s PCSOs, Dan, talk about how much the families on her patch become part of her life and how she supports them; the difficult tale was then of ‘The Left Behind’ as she opened about one young man making a poor choice that led to a tragic accident. Her bravery to talk about it and encourage the students to not give in to pressure was a powerful message.  

On Wednesday of this week students then got to meet Paul Spence (From the charity P.A.U.L for Brain Recovery) Like Dawn, Paul spoke about how a single, unprovoked, punch destroyed the life he had built and how he has had to rebuild it- his physical/ mental self, relationships with family and friends, and work; Paul’s story is inspirational and the message to students was to make sure they were not putting themselves in situations where one punch from them could destroy the life of somebody else. Both speakers evoke our core values and I hope your child has learned that resilience, respect, responsibility, and kindness have helped these speakers and how they can develop these values within themselves. 

We have also been celebrating successes with the year group this week. I started off adding 181 names to a spinning wheel for students who had had 100% attendance in the first 4 weeks. From this, 10 names were drawn, and spot prizes given. I then had a delivery of treats for students who are already hitting the first 3 levels of House Point Milestones. As a year group we have over 27,000 already: AM-AZ-ING! (Channelling my inner Craig Revel- Horwood). As I continue to work on positive rewards and praise, students are now in a 3-week window to embrace my latest challenge; I have three categories for the students to work towards: 100% Attendance and zero negative behaviour points, 100% Attendance, or zero negative points. The challenge started on Monday 9th October and runs until we finish for half-term on Thursday 26th October. 

As I walk between classrooms each day, teachers are talking positively about how the students are developing confidence in subjects, how marking books reveals their individual characters, and some of the entertaining moments from lessons. One of my favourites was hearing a student read a description of a teacher- ‘Wears high heels and has high standards, without heels she is tiny. She loves a Shein dress and has a great fashion style; her nails are pretty; she is a little crazy; and her dark brown hair, has a silver sparkle near the roots...’, I went home and coloured my hair! They are certainly getting to know me well and understand that their staff care. I hope they continue to enjoy their lessons and develop relationships with so many teachers. 

Attendance to clubs continues to increase and the latest to be added to the ever-increasing choices is our School Choir; This runs on a Monday lunchtime each week. The choir is a great part of the school and our extended community. They perform at The Hessle Christmas Lights Switch on; Christmas Carol Service; entertain staff at meetings and celebratory events; and any other opportunity that we can find. Beyond this, more clubs happen weekly, and new ones appear at various times throughout the year, so please encourage your child to give them a go; it is a great way to make friends with similar interests. 

My last note is a safety note. As the days get shorter and darker, please encourage your child to ensure they are walking to and from school with others, use well-lit routes, and that they keep their location turned on on their phones. It is also getting colder, so please encourage them to wear a coat and stay warm when they are outside. 

As I now end, please remember we are here to support you and your child. You can contact us via the phone, using option 7 and then option 1, or email us at hoy7@hessleacademy.com. 

Take care and stay safe. 

Mrs Todd

Head of Year 7

Mr Fielden

Assistant Head of Year 7