As we near our Easter holiday I want to share with you the fantastic work that has been done by our teachers and our Year 11 students as they prepare for final exams. There has been a truly magnificent shared approach to preparation and revision and this continues over the holiday period and beyond. The timetable for Easter revision sessions has been given out to students and is also on the school website, www.blaconhighschool.net . We are looking forward to some very impressive results in August which will reflect the commitment of our students, staff, parents and carers. Year 11 please keep up this focused approach and reap the fine results.

Our Year 8 students have also been busy identifying their next steps for GCSE options and this has been well informed by our Target Setting and Routes Evening in March. Thank you for your support in this. All students have now agreed their courses for next year.

As always, the school has been really busy with extra-curricular events, often featured under Latest News on the school website. Here is the range and flavour of what has taken place during this Spring term:

• Theatre visits to The Lion King, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet
• Trip to Ypres and The Somme
• Trips to the Manchester Mosque and Gurdwara
• A Chinese Culture Day
• Cheshire and Warrington Winter Games – Year 9/10 Volleyball champions for third year in a row.
• Chester & District Champions – Year 9/10 Volleyball, Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 Table Tennis and Year 8/9 joint Basketball champions
• Football – Year 8 and 10 teams through to Semi Finals of Chester & District Cup and Year 10 team through to ESFA Playstation Small Schools’ Cup Final once again this year.
• Girls PE Reward trip to British Gymnastics at Liverpool Echo Arena
• Year 9 Art students working on Art mural at Tinies Nursery

Many thanks to staff and students for their active participation in these events.

In addition, we have once again, as a school, been awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark. The Adviser noted that the school has, ‘a stunning’ reading area for guided reading sessions and that all staff have been trained in ‘That Reading Thing’ to support cross curricular reading and spelling. She also identified our work with partner primary schools in the BEV (Blacon Educational Village) as a real strength. Students themselves met with the Adviser and commented, ‘This school won’t give up on you.’ What better praise could we have?

In preparation for the National Election we have held our own Blacon High School elections. Students from all year groups were nominated and prepared their own manifestos. The elections were close but our School Parliament has now been elected and I look forward to working with them on their agenda for positive change.

Year 7                    Joe Quinn and Sophie McHugh

Year 8                    Joe O’Gorman and Maisie Conlon

Year 9                    Marcel Aziamale and Elle-May Challinor

Year 10                 Jake Sconce and Danielle Cowley

The Summer term promises to be a busy time in school. The Performing Arts Department and many of our students are involved in the school production ‘Return of the Forbidden Planet.’ The performances will be on Wednesday, 22^nd and Thursday, 23^rd April. Work will also begin on our new school building, due to open in September 2016.

I am thrilled that some of our Year 11 students (7) have once again been awarded fully funded sixth form places to top schools nationally. This is a tremendous personal achievement for them and their families and a cause for celebration. We are the only school in Cheshire to have this bursary route and increasing numbers of our students are proving successful in securing places through this programme. I am filled with pride when I see their achievements. Our Blacon High School students are standing ‘toe to toe’ with the very ablest of students nationally and we should all be justifiably proud.

I look forward to continuing the great work here with your sons and daughters. Thank you for your support in upholding our high expectations with regard to uniform and our core principles.

Have a happy, safe and restful holiday. School reopens on Monday, 20^th April, Week 2 on the school calendar.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Sue Yates

Headteacher