WLD Update Saturday 25th January 2020

Many congratulations to the Gymnastics team - Abbey, Devon, Ellen and Elliot who came 2nd in the North West Milano Competition last Saturday. Thanks to the PE department for the organisation of the event at Walton-le-Dale.  

Thanks for your partnership in ensuring the excellent behaviour of almost all of our students. Our rules don't change so please can I ask for your support in a few specific areas where we seem to do some very unnecessary battles....  Uniform - no trainers, no false eyelashes or nails, no piercings;  Everyone does PE (unless, of course, they have a doctor's note) and brings PE kit;  Everyone does homework - we don't want to put people in detention, we want them to do homework!  Nothing changes about these things, please talk to your son or daughter about the fact that all schools are the same in these matters and having arguments about these things is pointless and wastes time and energy that should go into teaching!      

Year 11 Parents' Evening:  This was a very successful evening - thanks to everyone for your support.  Please keep in close touch with your son or daughter's mentor - we will be circulating the revision plan by email shortly having given out printed copies last week.

GCSE examination timetable:  This was sent out by email last week and is on the website.  If you are planning to book holidays for after the end of exams, please be aware of the contingency date of Wed 24th June up to which all students need to be available in case the exam boards have to reschedule exams due to "widespread national or local disruption". 

SEND "local offer" - information from Lancashire: One of the priorities for the Lancashire SEND Partnership was to review Lancashire's SEND local offer, which is the information, advice, support and services available across Lancashire, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.  Following an extensive review, work has been carried out over the last six months to revise the local offer website, which provides a central access point to this information. You can find the revised SEND local offer website at www.lancashire.gov.uk/SEND.  You will find a flyer about this on our website.

"WOW" - word of the week:  At the top of this post you can see last week's "Word of the Week".  This word is one that students will need, but is sometimes not used much in everyday speech.  Students are encouraged to learn and use it through form time and lessons each week.  They are also on the website each week.  May be worth asking your son or daughter if they can remember it, or know what it means... that would really help us.

Upcoming events:  Please be aware that Year 8 Parents' Evening is on Wed 5th February and the Year 9 Options and Parents' Evening is on Wed 12th February.  The letters about these events have been emailed home and are available on the website.  Please be aware that a Year 9 Parents' Evening has been on the calendar for 27th Feb - this is an error - it is combined with the Options evening on the 12th.  

Have a very good week!

James Harris

Headteacher