WLD Update for Parents & Carers - Friday 10 March 2023

Good afternoon.  Apologies for the inconvenience caused by the short-notice closure of the school yesterday - the circumstances were outside our control and you cannot have a school of 785 students and 90+ staff without any toilets!  The problem was resolved yesterday afternoon by United Utilities and I am very glad that the snow did not prevent us opening today.

All years

• Attendance and New Absence Reporting Procedures: Please note that there is now no facility to leave messages to report student absence.  These must be reported using the Classcharts Absence reporting tool or via Schoolcomms.
• Homework: We are trialling a new way of recording and recognising homework up until Easter.  This has been explained in assemblies. Essentially, we are rewarding homework completion with positive Classcharts, as well as additional positive Classcharts for extra or excellent homework completed.  Where homework is not submitted, a notification will be sent to you. In our endeavour to create aspirational and independent learners, the onus for homework completion is on the students; they are encouraged to complete it because research proves that they will achieve higher grades not because they are threatened with detention.  
• Accessing Remote Learning: Students have been reminded of these protocols for accessing work.  For your information, this is how work is accessed via Microsoft Teams:

1. Click on the Class Team 
2. Click on ‘Class Materials’ 
3. Click on the folder marked ‘Half Term 4’ 
4. Open the documents in this folder and complete the tasks 
5. Return any completed work to your class teacher via email OR complete it on paper and hand it in on your return 

• Bus Information:  Many thanks to parents & carers who responded to our request for information as to whether you would use the school bus service after Easter given the significant increase in price.  We expect to make a decision on the way forward in the first couple of days of next week.
• Spare Uniform: If any families have any spare uniform that their child has grown out of and in good condition, we would be grateful if you would be kind enough to send them into school for other students to borrow. We are in need of trousers, skirts, blazers and possibly shoes. Thanks for your help.
• NEU Strike Days: Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th March: Please note that the next NEU strike action will take place over two days - Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th March.  The strike action is not against the school, it is against the government. As I said in my previous messages, most of our teachers belong to the NEU and therefore we cannot open the school safely on those days.  All teachers who are not on strike will deliver their lessons from school using Teams following their normal timetables and our usual online provision is available to all students.  Year 11, in particular, have a comprehensive revision guide to guide their study on those days.

Year 8

• Progress Evening: This will take place on Wednesday 22nd March 2023 from 4pm-6.30pm. This will be a physical event in school and will take place in D Block, with entrance via D2.  Appointments must be booked via SchoolCloud using the link here. Bookings are open but will close 30 minutes before the event is scheduled to start (ie at 3.30pm on 22nd March).

Year 10

• Work Experience:  During the week commencing the 3rd of July, our year 10 students will be participating in a week of work experience. These placements provide young people with a taste of "the World of Work" so that they may begin to understand the demands that will be made upon them when they enter employment. This will form an important part of their careers education by allowing them to explore and discover their likes/dislikes, what skills they have and any aspects of themselves they may like to develop further.  If you might know of any companies, including your own or a friends', which may be able to offer such placements, could you please get in touch with Miss Minton via the following email: J.minton@waltonledale.lancs.sch.uk. Thank you.

Year 11

• French and German Mock Speaking exams: Due to the unforeseen closure of the school on Thursday 9th March we have had to reschedule both the French and German Mock Speaking exams.  German will now take place on Tuesday 14th March and French will take place on Wednesday 22nd March.  
• Revision Information: It is at https://www.waltonledale.lancs.sch.uk/parents/communication

Best wishes

James Harris

Headteacher