Dear Parents/ Guardians

Since the “requires improvement” judgement by Estyn in the inspection of October 2014, Prestatyn High has been working hard to improve the school in 7 key areas/recommendations. These 7 key recommendations were:

• R1 – Raise standards in KS4 outcomes including English and Maths (L2+)
• R2 – To improve the accuracy and presentation of pupils’ writing
• R3 – To improve attendance rates and reduced persistent absenteeism
• R4 – To improve the behaviour of pupils
• R5 – To improve the quality and consistency of teaching and assessment
• R6 – To improve the accountability and consistency of leadership at all levels
• R7 – To improve self-evaluation and improvement planning

The school has worked tirelessly on improving these recommendations and we have made significant progress in all areas. Estyn have now judged the school to have made good progress, recognising all this hard work and the fantastic results the school, staff and most importantly our year 11s achieved last summer.

We are extremely pleased and proud that 53% of our cohort of 240 pupils achieved 5 high grade passes (grade C or above) including English language and maths. This bucked the national trend with many Welsh schools seeing a significant reduction. This outcome places PHS in the top 50% of school’s nationally. Pupils achieving A*-C in English language have risen by 20% to 69% which is unprecedented and is a real sign that the changes we are making are having a significant impact on improving the life chances of our young people.

Results in the 6^th Form have also seen a significant improvement which has allowed more students than ever to not only access University, but access their first choice University. We are delighted that 70% of all A-levels taken at our 6^th Form were graded at a C or above in 2017.

Improving attendance is still of major importance for the school and we have set ourselves a challenging target of 97% for all pupils. We are going to vigorously work through our attendance procedures to make sure we continue to make further progress in this area. We would like to achieve our new target within the next two years, but we will only achieve this with the help and support of all parents in all year groups.

This judgement by Estyn is a great endorsement of what the school is doing well and we will now have the time to make sure the school achieves its full potential, becoming the outstanding school the community, parents and most importantly the pupils and students of Prestatyn deserve.

Download the letter  – Estyn ltr to parents v2

We are fast approaching the end of term. Same as last year the school will be closing early at 12.20pm on Friday 22nd December, to allow students and their families a little extra time together to prepare for Christmas, enjoy a different routine on a Friday afternoon and as a reward for all their hard work. However, I am keen to stress that I do not expect to see a dip in attendance just because it is a shortened day. Students are expected to attend school and lessons as normal.

The school has made all the necessary arrangements for school buses/taxis to be at school early to transport students home. Students are welcome to join in the Christmas spirit by accessorising their school uniform by adding a little bit of tinsel on Friday the 22nd December. If students wish to participate then a small donation is welcomed which will be donated to a local charity.

School re-opens for new term:

The school re-opens for students on Tuesday 9th January. The 8th January 2018 is a training day for all staff. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students and parents of Prestatyn High School for all their support this year. My first full year as headteacher at Prestatyn High School has been hugely successful and we, as a school, are making excellent progress to achieve the best outcomes for all our young people as was demonstrated in the summer’s exam results. Together, we will transform PHS into the best school in Denbighshire.

Download the Parent letter

A vacancy has arisen on the School’s Governing Body for a position as Parent Governor as a result of one of our existing parent governors’ term of office coming to an end.

Attached is a nomination paper for this position and if you are interested in standing or inviting another parent to stand please ensure the nomination paper is fully completed and returned to Liz Thomas, the Clerk of Governors, by 1.00pm on Thursday 23rd November, 2017.

The role of Governor can be both demanding and interesting and I would be happy to discuss this with anyone who would like further information.

Print and download the nomination form
Parent Gov Vacancy ltr & Nomination Form Nov 2017

Neil Foley – B.Sc. MA.
Pennaeth Headteacher

On Monday 9th October, 2017, thirty-four Year 7 and 8 pupils from Prestatyn High School enjoyed the opportunity to meet Phil Earle, an author of teenage fiction, at Prestatyn Library. Phil Earle spoke about how, from being a non-reader and reluctant writer at school, he found a love of teenage fiction and decided to try writing his own books for teenagers. Now a several-times published author, he shared his experiences and engaged the pupils with ideas about where stories might come from, giving advice such as, “Let your imagination go for a walk,” and telling them that, “Good fiction asks you questions; it gives you moral dilemmas.” The pupils were clearly enthused, evident when they had the opportunity to offer ideas and ask questions. Some pupils left the talk with story ideas and were keen to start penning their own novels as soon as possible. Watch this space!

Visiting pupils from Vigo, Spain today visitied the Mayor of Prestatyn, Mr Gerry Forbisher, to present his with a gift from Spanish counterpart.

Prestatyn, September 28, 2017 – This afternoon, Mr Forbisher welcomed twelve pupils from Vigo, Spain at Prestatyn Council Chambers. The students are spending three weeks at Prestatyn High School in an exciting project aimed at encouraging language learning in Spain and the UK. The Spanish pupils have been taking lessons side by side with their Year 11 ‘buddies’, all of whom are taking Spanish at GCSE. As well as taking part in lessons across the curriculum, the pupils from Vigo have been getting involved in after-school sports and Spanish Club.

The Vigo programme, championed by the city’s mayor, was set up to encourage students to do well in school. All 12 of the visiting pupils are here because they have worked hard to get high grades in school. The Spanish visitors are staying with local families and taking time out to Snowdonia, Liverpool, Chester and other local attractions; all organised by Prestatyn-based English Plus.

As a thank you to the people of Prestatyn for welcoming these students, the Mayor of Vigo, Mr Abel Caballero, sent a souvenir book and flag to his Prestatyn counterpart and the students handed this to Mr Forbisher at a reception today.

Viviane Vick, Spanish teacher at Prestatyn High School commented Prestatyn pupils were really benefitting from the experience

“My year 11 students are absolutely loving the fact that they get to speak Spanish!”

. The Vigo students are also learning a lot about Britain and really appreciate the friendly welcome they have received, especially from their Prestatyn ‘buddies’.

The visit has been arranged by English Plus, a Prestatyn company that brings hunderds of international students to the área each year; all of whom stay with local host families.