We need your help!

Blacon High School is now offering another strand of after-school provision for its students and wondered if you could help us out by donating some equipment.

From 3.10pm- 5.10pm on one afternoon each week, we will be running a Youth Cafe. This initiative is in direct response to student voice.

The Youth Cafe will be a safe space and we plan to have a range of activities that students can engage in, if they want to. Alternatively, if they just want to use the area as a social space, that is also fine. I’m sure you’ll agree that, once we get into the autumn term and the nights start to become darker, students will really appreciate another venue they can access after school. We will also be offering a selection of hot and cold snacks, hot and cold drinks and a tuck shop.

To add to our list of planned activities we are looking for:

• A foosball table – free-standing, not a table-top one.
• An air hockey table
• A flatscreen TV that can double up as a monitor to play console games on - we have already had the offer of two games consoles.

Obviously, all equipment needs to be in working order and in good condition but we would be more than grateful if you could help us out.

Please contact the school office

Thanks in advance

Each of these flags represent students who are part of the vibrant student community at Blacon High School.

Challenge each other to see if you can you name them all.

Exams! Exams! Exams!

Hi All,

Well, school has been really busy in the final run up to the exam season for our Year 11s. Students are almost half-way through their GCSEs now and they are really putting in a superb effort. The feedback from them is broadly very positive, which means that all of the hard work in school during lessons, revision sessions and Period 6, along with independent revision at home, has been worthwhile.

It is a massively stressful time for students and we do everything we can to support them in school, as I know you all do at home. The most successful students are those who come into the exams knowing that they are fully prepared, so please encourage them to spend some time each evening on revision; this is the last big push before they get that very long, well deserved summer break.

We wish them every success and look forward to sharing some fantastic outcomes when they get their results in August.

With the focus on GCSEs, it is easy to forget that there are so many other amazing things happening both in school and out in the community all of the time. I have included some of them below that represent just a flavour of the fantastic range of activities and experiences that our students participate in day to day.

Odds-on, this was a favourite

On 19^th April a group of Year 9 students enjoyed a day at the races when they went on a Careers and Maths trip to Chester Racecourse.

The objective of the trip was to provide students with insights into the diverse career opportunities within the racing industry and to explore the mathematical concepts inherent in horse racing.

Students were able to visit the weighing room, where they learned about the meticulous process of weighing jockeys before and after races. Next, they visited the parade ring, where they watched the pre-race preparations of horses and jockeys, and witnessed the excitement and anticipation leading up to a race, as well as learning about the roles of trainers and stable staff.

A comprehensive tour of the racecourse provided students with insights into the facilities and infrastructure required for hosting sporting events. They learned about track maintenance, spectator facilities, and the logistics involved in organising race meetings. One of the highlights of the trip was a presentation by industry professionals who highlighted the diverse roles and career opportunities available, within the industry.

The day at Chester Racecourse proved how immersive learning experiences are invaluable in helping students make informed decisions about their future careers, while getting an appreciation of mathematics and its real-world applications.

Combined Cadet Force

Students in our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) enjoyed a weekend at Fox Barracks where cadets had great fun practising their accuracy on a live-firing shooting range. This was followed by a night camping out in the field. Fortunately, the weather was very kind and everyone had a really enjoyable educational and fulfilling time.

What a great experience!

SPORT

Football

Congratulations to six of our Year 10s and the rest of the Chester School Boys’ Team who won the Inter District Senior Trophy. The game remained at 0-0 at full time, with Chester eventually winning 5-4 on penalties. After saving a penalty, Callum Mackin went on to score scoring the winning goal with his own penalty.

We have now received details of the National Plate Final that is being held at Northampton's ground on Saturday 22nd June; kick off is at 1.30pm. The game will be streamed live, so we will share the link closer to the time as I’m sure lots of you will want to watch the match and support the team.

Well done lads.

Athletics

Over the last week, lots of our students have been representing the school at the Chester and District Athletics Competition, which was held at the Deeside Stadium. There are lots of successes to share:

Brooklyn Amanda (Yr 10) won his event and is now the is Chester Inters (u16) Triple Jump Champion

Morgan Massey (Yr 9) came 3rd in Triple Jump

Brooklyn Amanda (Yr 10) came 3rd in the 400m

Fabian Baran (Yr 10) came 4th in Shot Putt

Leon Watson (Yr 10) came 5th in the 100m Final

Ethan Field (Yr 8) came 5^th in the 100m Final

Alfie Bath (Yr 7) came 2^nd in Shot Putt

Rylee Sharp (Yr 7) came 2^nd in Discus

Head of PE Mr Cairns said that it is very likely that anyone who was placed in the top three in any event is likely to be invited to represent Chester Athletics in Cheshire. We will look out for that.

Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to all of those who were placed.

BEV Democracy Group

Last week, representatives from our School Parliament joined forces with the Student Councils from the primary schools to discuss how services and facilities for young people can be improved in Blacon. They were completing some preparatory work ahead of their planned presentation to the Board of Directors of Avenue Services at their Annual General Meeting in July.

Student representatives from all of the schools in the BEV are the voice of youth in our community. Earlier in the year, they were asked by Avenue Services to consider what areas and services they felt needed the greatest financial investment in order to further support the young people of Blacon. Having done this in two meetings, they are now hard at work prioritising their ideas and are working on the presentations they will deliver at the Avenue Services AGM.

They really do understand the power of using their voice and are a credit to the community.

Italian Students

As we have done in previous years, we were delighted to host a group of Italian students who joined us form the Liceo Scientifico High School in Fabriano, Italy, for a three week ‘language immersion’ placement earlier in the term.

These visits offer numerous opportunities for our students, mostly in Year 10, to interact with students from another culture. Whilst we don’t offer Italian as a language choice in MFL, activities of this nature still offer a great chance to learn about other countries, languages, cultures and, what we always discover is that, despite the language barrier, how much teenagers have in common, regardless of where they come from.

Lots of our Year 10 students volunteered to be ‘buddies’ for the duration of the trip and, very quickly, made friends, and many of them have remained in contact via social media, which is just brilliant. Students demonstrated maturity, resilience and developed their skills in communication and compromise.

As always, even after a very short visit, there were tears as our visitors left and their feedback to us as a school, and the individuals who acted as buddies was superb. Also, we are hoping to maintain contact with our Italian colleagues who were keen to develop the idea of offering a student exchange. Although there is potentially a year of planning that goes into offering an opportunity of this nature, watch this space!

We plan to continue to offer these opportunities and remain committed to widening our international links and developing our profile on the global stage.

Youth Café

We are very conscious that there is never a wide enough variety of opportunities or relevant activities for young people in the afternoons and evenings and, often, this is simply a lack of appropriate social spaces. At Blacon High School, we strive constantly to think of more ways that we can support our students both within the school day and beyond. To this end, and in response to Student voice, we will be running a pilot for a Youth Café, which will run, initially, each Thursday from 3.15pm – 5.15pm during the second half of the summer term.

Students want somewhere to go where they actually can choose to join in a range of activities or simply chill out and chat to friends. The main thing was that they felt they had ownership of their own time in a comfortable environment. Initially, the Youth Café will only serve Blacon High School students but we may review this as the project develops.

The Youth Café will be housed in the Bistro, in the new building; there won’t be access to any other part of the school building. In response to Student Voice, there will be a tuck shop, hot and cold drinks, a variety of hot snacks including, or perhaps especially, chips. We are hoping to have a games console, some soft furnishing like bean bags and a foosball table. The café will be self-financing and we will use any profit from the sale of refreshments to fund additional equipment.

The pilot will run for the six weeks after half term and then we will consider how we move it forward in the new school year from September.

Please keep an eye on the school website and on social media for further information.

Hola!

This week we were very lucky to welcome Ruben Prado, a native Spanish speaker, into school.

Ruben is very experienced at working with young people and delivered sessions on Spanish language and culture to students in both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Students were able to practise their spoken Spanish in a really informal way and even stayed to talk to him during their break.

Ruben also really enjoyed the day. He was very complimentary about how engaged all of our students were and has offered to come back to deliver more sessions. In terms of developing our profile in MFL (languages), and an opportunity for students to practise and improve their Spanish speaking skills, this is really great news.

Thank you Ruben and we look forward to welcoming you back.

And finally…

As always, this is just a flavour of the huge range of activities that are always a feature of what we strive consistently to offer our students.

I would like to congratulate our Year 11s for the superb way they have approached their GCSEs so far; they have been punctual, prepared, mature and their behaviour has been exemplary.

It is half term and everyone needs a rest. However, for our hardworking Year 11s, please encourage them to continue to devote some time during the holiday to revision. They are more than half way through their exams now and the end is in sight.

To everyone else, I hope that you have a wonderful break and we look forward to seeing you all when on Monday 3^rd June when school reopens.

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of the spring term, I would like to thank students and parents/carers for your hard work and support. Due to Good Friday on 29^th March, school will close for the Easter/spring break on Thursday 28^th March with students being dismissed at the usual time of 3.10pm. We return to school for the summer term on Monday 15^th April 2024.

Following our Ofsted inspection in November 2023 and a follow-up visit in February 2024, I have now received the Ofsted report which is available on the school website to view. I remain proud of all that has been achieved and we continue to work together to achieve great things as we move forwards. There have been many amazing events that have taken place this half term as a result of the hard work, dedication and resilience of our staff and students. This week we have celebrated with students and parents/carers in our rewards assemblies to recognise the fantastic dedication and hard work of our outstanding students, with some of those students also going out on reward trips.

We have had a variety of sporting activities and events each week and we continue to develop and offer enriching opportunities and experiences for all, both at lunchtime and after school. We currently have a total of 56 clubs on offer and so far 54% of all students have been involved in these. 99% of Year 11 have attended a club and we are delighted that so many students have been accessing period 6 in support of preparation for their examinations this summer. We ask that you encourage your child to become involved in the enrichment programme at lunch and after school, which can be found on our website: https://www.blaconhighschool.net/page/?title=Extra%2DCurricular&pid=58

Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

We want to remind you about some of the FREE activities available across West Cheshire throughout the school break. Edsential, on behalf of Cheshire West and Chester council, have coordinated a whole host of Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) clubs, funded by Department for Education – which are completely free for children who are eligible for free school meals (FSM) as well as supporting children and young people with SEND (special education needs and disabilities).

This Easter there are a diverse range of activities on offer; from swimming lessons, forest school and days out to henna art, zorb football, and much more. Free healthy meals will be provided throughout the programme, ensuring that children and young people stay nourished and energised during the holidays.

For more information and a full list of activities available throughout the spring break, visit the website.

Benefits-related free school meals (FSM) are available to families in receipt of qualifying benefits. If your child/children are not currently in receipt of free school meals but you think your circumstances mean they could be eligible, please use the link:

https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/education-and-learning/free-school-meals

To support families with students eligible for free school meals, a voucher of £10 per family is available during Easter/spring break and will be emailed to families in the usual way.

Key dates for summer term 2024

• 16^th April, Year 11 practical exams (2 weeks)
• 22^nd April, Earth Day
• 29^th April, Year 10 Work Experience week
• 2^nd May, Year 8 Progress Evening
• 6^th May, early May Bank Holiday
• 8^th May, VE Day
• 13^th May, Year 11 summer exams start
• 13^th May Mental Health Awareness week
• 16^th May, Year 10 Information Evening
• 21^st May, World Day for Cultural Diversity
• 24^th May, school closes for May half term

If your child cycles to school, please can I urge you to ensure that they wear a safety helmet. School promotes that, for their own safety, all students cycling to and from school should wear appropriate head protection.

If you haven’t already done so, I would like to invite you to download the school app or log-in via the EduLink One website to ensure that there is effective communication between school and home.

I encourage all students in Year 11 to use the break to continue their revision and preparation for the summer examinations. We look forward to students returning on Monday 15^th April 2024 and ask you to ensure that students arrive on time for an 8.40am start.

From all staff and governors, we wish you a restful and enjoyable spring break and look forward to welcoming students back refreshed and ready to work hard over the next half term.

Regards,

Rachel Hudson

Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers, 

To support students with their preparation for the upcoming exams, revision sessions will be taking place in school over the first week of the Easter/spring break.

There is no requirement for students to wear uniform when attending the sessions but the normal
standards of behaviour and conduct are expected.

Students attending revision sessions will need to sign in and out at the main reception. The diner will be closed so students will need to bring their own food and drinks for the day.

The timetable is as follows:

Mr Nick Scoltock

Deputy Headteacher                                          

• No registration required
• No data is collected from students.
• Tons of opportunities for students to explore

Find out more here: https://ncw2024.co.uk/

The Apprenticeship is an excellent start to a recognised career path with opportunity to progress to Level 3 and 4 Technician status and the membership of a professional body. 

The qualification is recognised across the NHS and is transferable to the hospital setting. 

We are looking for a driven student with a pleasant and outgoing personality, hard working with good communication skills and who will be able to cope in a busy environment.  We require GCSE passes at grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 

It is ideal for someone who is perhaps looking for an alternative to University or College and wants to build a career. 

If individuals are interested, they could come into the pharmacy for a taster session or if students are currently in year 11 they can speak to Miss Thomas / Mr Hughes about this position.

Hi All,

Wow. Where does the time go? Another busy few weeks in school with lots going on. What I share is only a flavour of the massive amount of great work and extra-curricular activities that happen here every day. I hope you enjoy…

Chinese New Year Celebration

On Friday 9^th February we were lucky enough to have one of our colleagues from the University of Chester in school who led some sessions on Chinese culture and led our Chinese New Year event.

There was a host of activities taking place all over school including: Chinese calligraphy; a focus on the Year of the Dragon; making decorations, Chinese cuisine in Food Science; a performance on the meaning of the Chinese zodiac and painting dragons in Art. Meanwhile, in the Diner, Kelly created a Chinese menu and there were also fortune cookies that contain our luck for the next year; they are never wrong apparently.

It was a really popular day with all of our students and we hope to have started an annual event. Thank you to all of the teachers and staff in MFL, Food Science, RE, Drama and Art for facilitating the fantastic array of cultural work across the school during the day.

CCF

Some of our CCF students recently spent the weekend at Fox Barracks in Chester.

Cadets participated in ‘skill at arms’ lessons and, under very close supervision, learned how to use the L98A2 rifle. They also received training in First Aid and also honed their survival skills by learning how to cook in the field; they also enjoyed some well-earned downtime during the evening.

 Well done everyone.

National Storytelling Week

Please see some fantastic work produced by Avamay Johnstone in Year 8 for National Storytelling week and is brilliant. Well done Avamay.

Kenya Expedition

As some of you will know, Blacon High School is working in partnership with ‘Camps International’ who are offering the amazing opportunity of joining an expedition to Kenya in 2025. Students are encouraged to fund their own trips and representatives from Camps International are on hand to help those who are interested with fundraising ideas.

At the moment, there are a small group of students who have signed up. Let’s wish them well on their fundraising journey to enable them to take part in what will, undoubtedly, be the trip of a lifetime.

Geography

With the exam season on the not-too-distant horizon, the Geography team have managed to source some, very welcome, extra support for their students over the last few weeks in the shape of revision packs. In the packs there are revision materials, stationery, and a few goodies to keep them going over the next few months; I’m sure that they are appreciated.

As always, if there is anything that you feel the school can do to support students in the run up to their GCSEs, please contact school.

And finally…

Please remember that we are looking forward to meeting the parents of our Year 10 students on Thursday 15^th February for Progress Evening; make sure that you book your appointments online.

And, as the half term draws to a close and, at last, there’s a hint of sunshine breaking through the grey, can I thank you all for your ongoing support over the last few weeks.

Have a great half term and we look forward to welcoming everyone back into school on Monday 26^th February.

We are delighted to be working with Camps International, offering our students the opportunity to join us on a 4 Week expedition to Kenya in July*, 2025.

Come along to our informal presentation evening where you can learn more and ask questions about this exciting opportunity. We expect the presentation to last around 45 minutes.
Date & Time: Wednesday, 24 January - 18:30
Location: Main Hall

To ensure you receive an information pack, please confirm your attendance online via this link.
https://register.campsinternational.com
Your School Code is 9016

Who are Camps International?
Camps International are award winning global leaders in ethical and sustainable school expeditions. They offer fully supported school expeditions, to industry leading safety standards, across Africa, Asia and Latin America, providing an authentic cultural experience for every travelling student.

Where will they be going and what will they be doing?
Embark on an adventure with real impact on one of East Africa’s most amazing destinations. Live and work alongside local people and get involved in a range of sustainable projects, from community development to environmental conservation.

Experience the warm and welcoming culture that Kenya is famous for on this immersive expedition. Spend your days working on sustainable projects with local people, helping to support the local community, wildlife and environment. Get to know the inspiring Mamas of the local village who will teach you traditional skills, meet the world-famous Maasai Tribe and experience the magic of a safari at Tsavo East National Park – one of Africa’s top wildlife destinations.

What will they get out of the experience?
This fully supported expedition will provide our students with a unique opportunity to live alongside rural communities, broadening their perspective on the world. It will allow students to push boundaries and step outside of their comfort zone, embarking on a personal development journey. It will enable them to reach and exceed their academic and personal potential, develop valuable life skills and gain key extra-curricular experience highly regarded by universities and employers.

How much does it cost and how will we pay for the expedition?
This all-inclusive expedition costs £4330 and can be paid via scheduled payment plans. Payment plans facilitate both fundraising activities and financial management. All students are encouraged to fundraise the cost, teaching them important life skills such as money management, problem solving and event planning. If fundraising is new to you, then don’t worry, the Camps International
crew will support you and our students every step of the way.

We look forward to seeing you and your family at the presentation. Can't make it? Register anyway and we will send you more information.

It’s great to learn that our students all seem to have had a fantastic Christmas and we are delighted to sat they have returned to school full of energy.

I always love the Spring term as it feels like everything is ‘on the  up,’ especially as the cold and dark nights start to fade away and it gets lighter, for longer, at both ends of the day; the daffodils will be out before you know it!

British Council Intermediate International Award

I reported that the school had been awarded the British Council Intermediate International School Award earlier in the school year and, on 15^th January, I was lucky enough to be invited to the Palace of Westminster in London to be awarded with the certificate on behalf of the school. Here I am receiving the certificate from the Deputy CEO of the British Council.

The award acknowledges all of the fantastic international initiatives that we ran at Blacon High School during the 2022\23 school year. We were involved in a variety of activities such as our annual exchange programme to Bulgaria for students in Year 10, fielding a team of talented sports boys and girls to represent the UK at the International Youth Games in Senigallia, Italy, and also, taking over thirty students on a Spanish language and cultural trip to Barcelona. In addition, during the year we hosted three large groups of foreign students, two from Spain and one from Italy who were taking part in language immersion trips. Also, we had a foreign language theatre group in school on two separate occasions who performed plays that were delivered entirely in French and Spanish to Key Stage 3 and GCSE Language students. This is just a flavour of some of the initiatives at Blacon High School that have an international focus.

This year, we are hoping to achieve full British Council International Accreditation, which is the highest level of the award. We have already had a number of events in school such as a range of activities and menus to celebrate European Languages Day. Our next event is on 9^th February when we will be celebrating the Chinese New Year. We have a representative from the University of Chester who will be leading sessions in Chinese calligraphy and sharing the significance of the Year of the Dragon. Meanwhile, the event will be supported by a host of other ‘fun’ activities in Drama, Art and Food Technology. Lunch in the Diner will offer a range of Chinese-themed dishes.

ESFA National Small Schools Cup

Our Year 10 boys team played the fantastically talented Moorfield School at home this week in a last sixteen, ‘EFSA National Small Schools Cup’ tie.

It was a tightly fought game with superb goals by Denis Kostadinov and Lucas Chao, both in the first half. The Blacon lads defended brilliantly in the second half and went on to win the match 2-1.

The win earns Blacon High School a place in the quarter finals and we are still waiting to find out who our opponents will be.

Historically, Blacon High School has done really well battling their way into the later stages of this competition on several occasions, and we look forward to cheering the team on in their quarter final match.

Congratulations to Mr Sabri and the Year 10 team.

Chester Schools Together Rowing

In collaboration with the Chester Schools Together partnership, a group of ten students from Year 8 have begun rowing at the King’s School Rowing Club.

Students are really enjoying mastering the fundamentals of rowing in the gym, and developing the basic skills and technique they will need to shape their rowing careers. They are excited to be rowing on the River Dee next week as they work towards the Warrington Indoor Championships, which will be held on Wednesday 24^th January where they will race both individually and in team relays.

Watch this space to see how they get on.

Cheshire International Links Association

As I’m sure some of you will know, there is a group called the Cheshire International Links Association that focuses on forging positive international links for the county of Cheshire around the globe. It meets once a month in the Town Hall in Chester. On 9^th January, Head of PE, Mr Cairns, and I were both invited to present at the meeting and, along with a group of students and their parents, we were able to share some of the huge range of events, trips and activities that have had an international focus that we were part of at Blacon High School during 2022\23.

Mr Cairns led a trip to Senigallia in Italy in July 2022, where Blacon High School students represented the UK at the International Youth Games; this is the fifth time that students from Blacon High School have represented the UK at this event. As well as taking part in mixed national teams in a variety of sporting events, they also enjoyed a range of cultural activities.

Mr Stockdale shared some of the wide range of other activities that the school has either led, joined or hosted, as detailed in the notes on the British Council Award above. Students find out such a lot about themselves on these trips, which offer amazing opportunities in terms of personal growth. Students develop cultural awareness, communication skills, independence, resilience and the power of compromise amongst other things. Perhaps more importantly, they make friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.

After the presentations, the audience were invited to chat with the students and their families about their experiences and what they had gained from the trips.

Well done Blacon High School students. You prove consistently that you can represent yourself, and your school, confidently in any forum.

Here, some of our students and parents are pictured after the event with the Deputy Lord Mayor of Chester – Razia Daniels.

And finally…

It is still only January but we are really busy, both in and out of school, as we strive to offer the young people of the Blacon community the best academic experience that we can.

We are looking forward to welcoming Year 11 parents on Thursday 25^th January for the first Progress evening of 2024, and would ask that you complete the online appointment form to avoid queuing.

As always, we need to thank you for your continued, ongoing support; we really appreciate it.

1. Never go onto the ice to play, to retrieve an object, or a pet
2. Never enter the ice to rescue somebody, call 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service
   
   What to do if you fall through the ice: 

• Keep calm and shout for ‘help’
• Spread your arms across the surface of the ice in front of you
• If the ice is strong enough, kick your legs to slide onto the ice
• Lie flat and pull yourself towards the bank
• If the ice breaks, work your way to the bank-breaking the ice in front of you anyway
• If you cannot climb out, wait for help and keep as still as possible. Press your arms by your side and keep your legs together. Keep your head clear of the water
• Once you are safe, go to hospital immediately for a check up

What to do if you see someone fall through the ice:

• Shout for assistance and phone the emergency services – call 999 or 112
• Do not walk or climb onto the ice to attempt a rescue
• Shout to the casualty to ‘keep still’ and offer reassurance to keep them calm
• Try and reach them from the bank using a rope, pole, tree branch, clothing tied together or anything else which can extend your reach
• When reaching from the bank, lie down to avoid being pulled onto the ice
• If you cannot reach them, slide something which floats, such as a plastic bottle or football, across the ice for them to hold onto to stay afloat whilst help is on the way
• If the casualty is too far away, do not attempt to rescue them. Wait for the emergency services while calming and reassuring the casualty

Another busy few weeks with lots of exciting things going on in and around school.

International Links – Bulgarian Exchange Programme – English Leg

On Thursday 2^nd November, we were delighted to welcome our Bulgarian friends and colleagues as they joined us for the English leg of the Bulgarian exchange programme that we run each year; you will remember that a group of students went to Karlovo in Bulgaria in June of 2023. Our guests joined us for five nights, returning on 7^th November after a fantastic, packed itinerary. Not even the dreadful British weather, mostly heavy rain, was able to dampen everyone’s enthusiasm.

During their stay, students completed the work for this year’s joint project, which was called ‘Overcoming Diversity’; this topic was approached from different angles. The Bulgarian students focused on the response to some serious flooding in their local area that left several villages under water, clearly a response to global warming, while Blacon High School students focused on the huge range of support and additional measures that we have in place in order to overcome barriers to education and support all of our students to succeed.

After the work was completed, over the next few days we visited Chester, Liverpool and North Wales. A special thank you must go to the Lord Mayor of Chester who hosted our guests at the Town Hall in Chester, where they enjoyed a perfectly pitched presentation, and were able to see all of the civic regalia. Additionally, the Lord Mayor supplied tickets for all of the students and staff to attend the Lord Mayor’s Fireworks Extravaganza at Chester racecourse on the evening of Saturday November 4^th.

The visit culminated in a Leavers’ Dinner in school, when our guests were treated to a very typical dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, followed by apple crumble and custard.

As always, there were lots of tears as we said our farewells and we look forward to renewing our relationship, which began in 2016, next year.

‘Annie’ Production

Leaping Lizards! Chester will ‘stick up its chin, and grin, and sing - Tomorrow, Tomorrow!’ when Blacon High School performs Annie JR at the Storyhouse Garret Theatre.

Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning best musical. ‘Annie Jr’ tells the story of a spunky, depression-era orphan who is determined to find her parents. ‘Annie is a heart-warming show with an important message about the true nature of family. In the show, we see how a plucky little girl transforms her entire life by making the most out of every moment’ say Cohen. MTI would like to applaud the students from Blacon High School for all of their hard work on their production.

Tickets are on sale now! Please follow the link below or scan the QR code on the attached poster.

Date: Wednesday 6^th December at 5.00pm and 7.00pm.

Venue: Garret Theatre, The Storyhouse, Chester

Tickets: £5.00 and £3.00 (concessions)

International Links – Swedish Drama Students

We recently welcomed a group of five trainee teachers on an international placement that took place between 6th and 8th November. Kristoffer, Emma, Tjark, Lara and Mimmi made a huge impact on the cultural education of our students with their creative storytelling, their understanding of good teaching practice, and their immeasurable enthusiasm.

From the moment they arrived in school, every member of the group was impeccably professional and completely absorbed with the project. The students experienced a short tour of the school and engaged in brief lesson observations across a range of subjects, identifying a variety of pedagogical approaches around the school. They also engaged in lesson observations in the Performing Arts Department for both Drama and SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural education), engaged in Q&A sessions with Year 7 students about Swedish culture, education and experiences, and designed and delivered engaging and captivating workshop sessions to three groups of students (two Year 8 groups and one in Year 9) with creativity and a high level of acting skills as Teacher-in-Role.

The workshops were well-paced, with appropriate timescales for students to pause, think and recall information. A range of questioning techniques were used to establish students’ understanding of the task, facilitating opportunities for all students to create, develop and perform their work. Pedagogical practice was carefully considered and applied to ensure an engaging, creative and exciting experience for our students here at Blacon High School. Staff and students found opportunities to meet our guests and engage them in conversation. Our students enjoyed their workshops and are still talking about their experiences.

It was an absolute pleasure to have hosted Kristoffer, Emma, Tjark, Lara and Mimmi. They asked pertinent and professional questions relating to our curriculum, pastoral care, behaviour policy, SEND provision and teacher responsibilities. I observed, and thoroughly enjoyed, their approach and experiencing their work ethic, which were, in both instances, outstanding. We would like to thank them for their creative contribution to the Performing Arts Department at Blacon High School and wish them all every success in their future careers.

Special acknowledgement goes to Mrs Salisbury, Head of Performing Arts, for arranging the visit.

Year 11 Anxiety Management Workshop

Some of the time, not everything goes to plan and we need a little extra support. We do our best to support all of our students to be successful, whatever their needs.

As such, we held two sessions by the Mental Health Support Team who ran two, one hour workshops for Year 11 students on the topic of Anxiety.

The initial drop in was held on 15^th November and there was a further workshop on 27^th November from 2.10pm – 3.10pm.

The workshop was an opportunity to learn more about what anxiety is and develop new coping strategies for managing anxiety.

And finally…

Please support all of our students but, at this time, Year 11s need to be revising all of the time as they are in the midst of their mock exams. If you would like any tips on how to support your child with revision, please contact the school and we will be only too happy to help.

As always, we thank all of our parents and carers for their ongoing help and support.

Letter - https://buff.ly/3ZWokq7

Survey - https://buff.ly/3Gkdcu4

There's still time for your students to register for the Apprenticeship Accelerator! 98% of students who attended last year's event said they would attend in the future:

“The event really helped me get a grasp on what doing an apprenticeship is like.”  - Previous attendee

Broadcast live online from 5pm on Thursday 30th November, it's essential viewing for any year 10-13 student who would like to hear from current apprentices and the UK's best apprenticeship employers.

Please see the attached event guide for further details and how to register.

Sign up link: https://apprenticeshipaccelerator.ratemyapprenticeship.co.uk/?dm_i=7BMZ,4Y9G,1QDMBE,K2G0,1

Blacon High School have subscribed, for a year in the first instance, to The Wellbeing Hub. We encourage all of our Parents and Carers to sign up for free to this new website and all our students will also have an account, automatically being registered with their school email. The Wellbeing Hub offers you a wealth of information regarding Mental Health and Wellbeing, including; 

• Weekly Podcasts and articles
• Live Q&As
• Webinars
• Top Tips
• The A-Z of Wellbeing
• Parenting Courses

Introductory video   -  https://teentips.co.uk/club/

1. Parents and Carers will register themselves using a URL link which will be sent to their Edulink app / ParentPay. Please look out for this information.
2. The link MUST NOT be shared on any social media as this is for Parents/Carers of Blacon High Students only and the capacity is limited to 800 user accounts – please only create one user account per family.
3. *Please note that the large majority of resources are included in your subscription but there are paid services like personal counselling that aren’t covered. We are NOT promoting these services in any way – we have subscribed you to the content which will be of no cost to you*

Any requirements to use the further paid services are NOT covered in your Blacon High School subscription.

Please find below links to The Wellbeing Hub across several Social Media platforms so you can follow them and be aware of the weekly new content.

https://twitter.com/WellbeingHubTT

https://www.instagram.com/thewellbeinghubteentips/?hl=en-gb

https://www.facebook.com/TheWellbeingHubTeenTipsLtd

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wellbeing-hub-teen-tips/

Well what a busy few weeks it’s been. It’s hard to find the time to keep up with everything. We are already well into the second half term and, with Christmas looming, we also need to remember that mock exams are also on the horizon.

Apart from that, there is, as always, a lot to share and celebrate so here goes…

Remembrance Assembly

On such an important occasion, Blacon High School joined schools across the nation in paying respect to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight to ensure freedom and democracy for all of us.

We held a very moving assembly with readings and poems delivered by members of the Student Leadership Team and members of the Student Parliament. ‘The Last Post’ was played by a representative of the Cheshire Wind Band before the school observed two minutes silence at 11.00am.

The assembly was live-streamed to all classrooms; a fitting and solemn tribute to all who have served.

Link to Remembrance Assembly: https://youtube.com/live/GaYwHXaBOvw

Lest we forget!

Whole School Celebration Evening – 9^th November 2023

This is always one of the loveliest events in the school calendar and this year was no exception.

The Hall was filled to the rafters with parents, carers and family members, who were joined by staff, Governors and, our Guest of Honour for the evening, Sheila Little – the Lord Mayor of Chester.

As always, lots of students across all year groups were rewarded for their efforts during the academic year 2022-23. At Blacon High School, we are acutely aware that success looks very different for some students, so awards also acknowledge effort and contribution in addition to those who achieve the highest grades.

The event culminates with the main awards of the evening, which are presented to Year 11s whose journey with Blacon High School came to a close when they left us after their GCSEs in July.

This year’s winners were:

Outstanding Contribution to School Award – Isobel Giles

Headteacher’s Award – Josh Graham

Blacon Spitrit Award – Lillie Shannon

Governors’ Award – Elsie Byrne

The Lilian Young Award – Summer Quinn

Summer is one of several Blacon High School students who have been successful in securing fully-funded bursary places at some of the country’s top independent schools in recent years. Summer, who is now studying for her A’ levels at Gordonstoun, which is one of the most prestigious schools in the world, sent a video message to share on the evening, thanking the school for the award and relating some of her experience at Gordonstoun so far. Well done Summer.

A huge thanks from us goes to everyone who attended the event and helped to make the evening a real ‘celebration,’ and massive congratulations, of course, goes to all of our prize-winners for the academic year of 2022-23.

MP Sam Dixon visits Blacon High School – 3^rd November 2023

Sam Dixon MBE is a Labour MP who serves as Member of Parliament for the City of Chester. Before she was an MP, between 2015 and 2019, Sam Dixon was the leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council. 

During her visit, Sam met with Harvey Hunt and Annie-Mae Barlow, members of the Student Leadership Team, staff and governors. She was also introduced to staff from our twinned school, the Vasil Levsky High School in Karlovo, Bulgaria, who were here on the English leg of the ever popular student exchange programme that we run from Blacon High School each year.

After a tour of the school, Sam chatted too Hayden and Billy, two members of our Student Parliament from Year 9, who shared what life at Blacon High School is really like, along with their aspirations for the future.

On her tour of the school, Sam visited many classrooms across a range of subject areas and was very impressed with the level of learning she witnessed and the calm atmosphere.

I’m certain that Sam Dixon will be an advocate for our school. We look forward to developing an ongoing relationship with her, and welcoming her back into school in the coming months and years.

Maths Information Evening

Head of Maths, Mr Slade, along with the whole Maths team, was delighted with attendance at the Maths Information Evening for Year 11 at the end of October, which was a huge success. There was a great turn out from parents, carers and students. Members of the Maths team delivered a workshop for parents and carers, and offered strategies to support their children to revise effectively at home. Those who joined us on the evening were also able to purchase revision materials. 

I’m sure that the early start with revision will support some excellent outcomes in the GCSEs.

Mr Slade forgot to take any photos of the event so offered one of himself instead; I’ll leave it to you to judge J

Army Engagement Team Visit

Here are some images from the day the Army Engagement Team visited our CCF (Combined Cadet Force) at Blacon High School earlier in the term. They brought a range of their equipment on to the school site for cadets to get their hands on. They also gave a talk about the pros and cons of opting for a career in the military.

Well done and congratulations to all those who take part in our fantastic CCF; being a cadet offers amazing opportunities throughout the year.

If anyone is interested in joining the Combined Cadet Force at Blacon High School, please contact Mr Jones via the school admin’ office.

And finally…

This is, as always, only a small snapshot of the huge list of events, trips and reasons for celebration that we enjoy as part of the Blacon High School community.

This week saw the return leg of the student exchange programme when our friends and colleagues from the Vasil Levsky High School in Karlovo joined us for a fun-packed, six-day itinerary. Also, we hosted a Swedish drama group who worked closely with students in their Drama lessons. I will share details and photos of both in our next blog.

Take care and have a restful weekend.

We remember all those who gave their lives in World Wars I and II, those who made the ultimate sacrifice to allow us the freedoms we enjoy today. We remember those who have served in more recent conflicts such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those in the currents conflict in Ukraine and Gaza, along with all those who have been affected by war.  

We take time today out of our busy lives to mark this day, when at 11.00am on the 11^th November, 1918, 105 years ago, the guns fell silent on the Western Front after four years of continuous warfare. We called the First World War, the Great War, the war to end all wars. Unfortunately, history tells us that the lessons of the First World War have not been learned.

Today, we remember all those who continue to give their lives in the fight for freedom and democracy, and we will do the same each year, joining millions of people around the world, to remember.

Link to Remembrance Assembly: https://youtube.com/live/GaYwHXaBOvw

The bus to Saughall – 15A will now only go as far as Mayfield Road.

Please can we ask parents and carers to make other arrangements to get children home safely.

We have sent a message to students telling them to go to the hall if they are affected by this and are unsure of how to get home. Please contact the school reception if you have any queries.  Reception will remain open later tonight until 4pm.

Welcome to a, somewhat delayed, blog; where on earth does the time go? There are so many fantastic things to celebrate so I will do my best to give you a flavour of some of the amazing activities and event that have been a feature of the first half term.

Welcome

Of course, we are delighted to have welcomed approximately 150 new Year 7s into school in September and are pleased to see, on a daily basis, just how well they are settling in and embracing the transition into secondary school.

Already, we can see how established friendship groups continue to develop and grow alongside new relationships, as students find themselves moving around the school and mixing with a significantly larger groups of their peers.

The Year 7 Progress Leader, Mrs Richards, said: I am delighted to be the Progress Leader for Year 7 and I am so happy to be one of an extended team of pastoral staff who will help to guide these young people through their journey at Blacon High School. They are already illustrating the values that we promote here as we aim to prepare every student for success.

In addition to our new students, I’m sure you would all like to extend a typical, ‘Blacon High School’ welcome to those who have joined our dedicated team of staff, all of whom are working hard to develop the positive relationships in and around school that contribute so much to student success.

Student Leadership Team

Welcome to our Student Leadership Team for 2023/24.

Firstly, thank you to all of you for applying to join the Student Leadership Team and for being willing to be ambassadors for the school and a voice for the student community.

Our Head Students Charlie and Honey, Deputy Head Students Harvey and Annie Mae, along with the rest of the fantastic team of Year 11 students, have already contributed to several key initiatives and will continue to represent the school at various events during the year, as well as continue to be the most fantastic role-models for students lower down the school.

Their next job is to oversee the elections for the Student Parliament, which is filled with representatives from Years 7 to 10. I hope that I will be able to share names of our Student Parliament Representatives next week.

Open Evening

On September 13^th, we were delighted to welcome so many prospective new students who are hoping to join our school community in September 2024.

We really appreciate the ongoing commitment of our staff, along with the huge number of students who give their time freely, so that we can offer you a real flavour of what your children can expect when they become a student here. As you will know, Blacon High School has been over-subscribed for the last five years so it is important that you make a conscious choice in order to secure a place for your child next year.

Thank you also to all prospective parents and carers who attended the Open Evening and for the overwhelmingly positive feedback you left us. We promote open dialogue between the school and parents, we value your contributions, and we always respond to feedback.

All the students who took part in the Open Evening were acknowledged by the headteacher, and were invited to a small ‘thank you’ event as a token of our appreciation (pictured above).

British Council International School Award

Did you know that we have students representing over twenty global cultures in our school community? This is fantastic and something we celebrate. And, as a result of our consistent focus on exploring and expanding our international portfolio, I am very pleased to share that Blacon High School was awarded the British Council International Award – intermediate Level; this is an amazing achievement.

During 2022-23, the school had an enormous range of activities that focused our students on celebrating the richness and vibrancy of every culture. For example, our languages team hosted theatre groups who shared drama performances that were delivered entirely in French and Spanish, the two languages that we teach here.

The long-standing relationship with our twinned school in Bulgaria continues to grow. In June, a group of Year 10s were able to take part in a student exchange programme with our friends in Karlovo, Bulgaria. This is the fourth time that we have been able to offer this opportunity. The students who took part have come back with the most amazing memories and they developed friendships that will last lifetime. We are very much looking forward to the English leg of the exchange, which is happening at the beginning of November.

Meanwhile, the PE Department took a groups of our young sports people to the International Youth Games in Sens, France. Blacon High School has represented the UK at this event on a number of occasions and, this year, were overall winners. What a fantastic experience for all of those who were involved and, a massive ‘well done’ on your amazing achievement.

Our third trip was to Barcelona, Spain. This visit offered students a superb to practice and develop their language skills, and also immerse themselves in Spanish culture.

In addition to this, during the year Blacon High School hosted three groups of students from Italy and Spain. Each of these groups of international guests stayed with us for approximately three weeks and every individual was supported by one of our student ‘buddies’. This was a valuable opportunity for our students to develop new relationships, gain confidence and learn about another culture.

Whilst we are obviously delighted to be awarded with the British Council International Award - Intermediate Level, this year, we are hoping to achieve ‘Accreditation Level’, which illustrates that we have established a programme of activities around international education and embedded learning across the school. Watch this space!!!

European Day of Languages 2023

European Day of Languages 2023 was on 26^th September and, to celebrate, there were a range of activities in school. However, I think the most popular was the food that Kelly and the catering team prepared for lunch.

The menu for the day included:

Germany – Bradwurst sausage with sauerkraut in a sourdough roll

Italy – Italian meatballs in tomato sauce with shavings of mozzarella and focaccia bread

A vegetarian option was offered as a substitute for both of the above.

Both dishes were received with ‘gusto’ by our students and we are looking at possible menus to offer at international themed days each half term.

In addition, we also offered a variety of our ever-popular pasta dishes that we serve out of the Pod on a daily basis.

‘Aye Aye Captain!’

Miss Beyer enjoyed a splashing (sorry I couldn’t resist that), a smashing time on the canal with a group of lucky Year 7 and 8 students. She said: ‘What a brilliant morning on a canal longboat! These lovely students from Year 7 and 8 were great company and an absolute pleasure to take on a trip.

And finally…

As we move through an exciting, eventful and ever-busy half term, we celebrate every success, great or small as we fully understand that ‘success’ looks different for everyone; we believe that ‘everyone’ can achieve.

We wish you a restful weekend and look forward to welcoming you into school for a range of events in the coming weeks

This World Mental Health Day, 10th October 2023, ITV’s Britain Get Talking and YoungMinds’ #HelloYellow are collaborating to help children across the country open up. Together with teachers and a clinical psychologist, we’ve created a piece of homework like no other. A conversation starter for children to take home, designed to help them talk about the hardest subjects on their minds with their parents or trusted adults. Because sharing worries can help ease stress and reduce anxiety. 

Dear Parent/Carer, Tomorrow, Tuesday 26th September is the annual European Day of Languages, and we are looking forward to celebrating this in school!

There will be fun languages activities for all students to engage with during tutor time and we will be serving some tasty European dishes in the canteen, with a variety of lively multi-cultural music playing at lunchtime!

Staff who speak other languages, or who have lived abroad, will be sharing their talents and experiences with our students on this day. If your child is lucky enough to have another language under their belt, please do encourage them to show it off in school too!

This is a really great cultural opportunity for our students and your support is very much appreciated. If you are interested in getting involved further at home and would like some ideas or resources, the website linked below is a great source of fun material! Alternatively, please don't hesitate to contact school to speak with a member of the MFL Department.

https://edl.ecml.at/

Merci, graçias, dziekuje, grazie, danke!

Mrs G Hassall

Head of MFL Department

Further to my communication on social media today, I would like to update you on the situation.  This morning, we alerted the Police to an email making threats to the school and some other schools within the local authority.  Cheshire Police have said that they believe this to be malicious and are currently investigating.

As a result of this, we followed our critical incident procedures, implementing additional measures as a precaution to ensure all students and staff remain safe in school.  As you know, the site is secured each day as a matter of course.  Our local Police officers attended the school and also provided a presence at the end of the day to reassure everyone within the community.

Cheshire Police have issued a statement as follows:

At around 10.05am on Tuesday 12 September, police were made aware of an email which had been sent to a number of schools in Chester and Ellesmere Port which made threats to pupils and staff.

An investigation has been launched and officers have been attending schools to provide reassurance.

Detective Chief Inspector Justin Hancock said: “We would like to reassure parents that this is believed to be malicious and we are doing everything we can to locate the person responsible for these emails."

I would like to reassure parents that school will remain open as usual.  We take safeguarding seriously as a school and have appropriate procedures in place to ensure the safety of students and staff on site.

We ask that you contact the main reception if you need to come in to the building during the day, as the front entrance and gate will remain closed for the rest of the week, as a precautionary measure.

We will speak to students in the morning to reassure them and will continue to provide any further updates as we receive them.

Regards,

Rachel Hudson

Headteacher