Show Racism the Red Card – Wear Red Oct 21st

Dear Parents and Carers

Our anti-discrimination team, who lead the campaign Discrimination. It Stops with Me, are working very closely with other external agencies to support Prestatyn High School in ensuring it is a place of inclusivity and diversity. We have sent home correspondence this year explaining how we plan to do this. Raising awareness within the school and the community is a key step.

Show Racism the Red Card is hosting a nationwide campaign on Friday October 21st, where all pupils are invited to wear their own clothes to school. Prestatyn High School is delighted to take part in this event. Pupils are asked to wear a red item of clothing to support the campaign and will be asked to donate £1, which will be donated to Show Racism the Red Card. This can be paid for through Parent Pay or pupils can bring the money in. If they do not have anything red to wear, please let us know before Friday 21st and we will provide you with something red to wear to show support for the campaign.

Thank you for your continued support

ELECTION OF PARENT GOVERNOR

Dear Parent/Carer - Parent Gov Vac ltr & Nom Form Oct 2022

 

Three vacancies have arisen on the School’s Governing Body for a position as Parent Governor as a result of three of our existing parent governors resigning due to other commitments.

Attached is a nomination paper for these positions and if you are interested in standing or inviting another parent to stand please ensure the nomination paper is fully completed and returned to (Mrs. Liz Thomas, Clerk of Governors) by 1.00pm on Thursday 20th October 2022.

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.

 

 

Yours faithfully Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA. Pennaeth Headteacher

Geography Iceland Field Trip

Pupils from Prestatyn High school took in the delights of Iceland on their first residential field trip since the start of the pandemic.
The geography department at Prestatyn High School took 37 pupils to Iceland on the 6th October 2022. Conditions could not have been better for the trip, boasting clear blue skies for most of the visit. Trip leader Head of Geography Kelly Skeffington said "the trip was successful; pupils enjoyed visiting the recent lava flows at Fagradalsfjall and walking through Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel (created by flowing magma). The interactive Lava Centre and visits to the UNESCO Thingvellir National Park developed pupils' depth of understanding of the tectonic forces that have created Iceland's spectacular scenery, this and observing the landforms created by Iceland's rivers and the ocean will benefit pupils when they sit their GCSE and A-Level geography exams."
The trip was enhanced on the first evening by a wonderful appearance from the Northern Lights following dinner at 'The Greenhouse' which is heated and powered by Iceland's renewable energy sources. The second day of the trip included visits to the Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant, Strokkur Geysir, the tectonic plate boundary at Thingvellir and the largest waterfall in Iceland at Gulfoss. An hour was spent in the Secret Lagoon, where everyone basked in the geothermally heated pool.
Kelly said: “Once again the trip was extremely successful, the pupils learnt a huge amount from the geographically rich environment that Iceland offers and pupils have made memories that will last them a lifetime.”
Kelly also acknowledged her staff team of: John Roberts, David Durham and Sian Reed without whom the trip would not have been possible.

Enrichment clubs timetable

Dear Parents and Carers

Please see attached  enrichment timetable Enrichment ltr

I am delighted to inform you that our enrichment opportunities and after-school clubs are now fully up and running with a host of sessions on offer for your child. The Prestatyn High School after-school enrichment timetable complements the successful lessons delivered during the school day. Sessions take place between 3pm and 4pm. The enrichment opportunities provide students with additional learning, social opportunities, and help to develop new skills and interests. In addition, they allow pupils to build confidence, become part of a team, and improve their communication skills. Enrichment clubs are a fantastic way to increase enjoyment of school life, as they create an inclusive, community spirit, in addition to enhancing skills and building character.

 

There are sessions and classes on offer for all year groups, and these include the core areas of additional learning, alongside extra qualifications, group sessions and sports. The enrichment sessions are based on pupils’ requests, and they are led by a dedicated member of staff who oversees the sessions. These sessions are often supported by older pupils and students from our 6th form. Sessions range from Art Club to Animal Care, Computer and Board Game Clubs, Creative Writing, Eco Club, F1 In School and Lego.

 

As part of these sessions, we offer a variety of physical activities from the 5x60 timetable, allowing all year groups to get involved. Sports include football, basketball, gymnastics, badminton and netball. Physical activity also improves wellbeing and physical health. I have attached a copy of the timetable for you to explore what we have on offer this term. All sessions on the timetable also include information on which year group can attend (using the key at the bottom of the page). The timetable for enrichment changes regularly, and future activities will include archery, table tennis and lacrosse, to name but a few. As we add new sessions to the enrichment timetable, we would love to see more pupils attend these new challenges and experiences.

 

All of the enrichment sessions will be registered in the same way as a normal lesson, so it is essential that pupils sign up for these clubs at reception to ensure that they are allocated a space. If pupils get the school bus home, and wish to attend an enrichment session, they can book on to a Prestatyn High School minibus at reception. This will ensure that they get home safely. The school minibus needs to be booked in advance to ensure that we have enough space each day. The latest time to book on to the bus is by break on the day of the enrichment activity. They will need to let the reception team know the date, time, home destination and enrichment activity.

 

It would be great to see new faces coming to participate and explore what is on offer. I do hope your child takes up this fantastic opportunity, and I look forward to welcoming them to the sessions.

 

Yours sincerely

Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA. - Pennaeth Headteacher

James Williams -  Enrichment
Alex Fuller - Enrichment

Letter to Parents – Communications

Dear Parents/ Carers,

 

I would like to start by passing on my praise and admiration for the vast majority of our parents who are supportive, diligent and only want the best for their children and the community.

The staff here at Prestatyn High School share your ambitions and morals and we too are dedicated and committed to the education of the young people of Prestatyn. All staff members and the wider school community work tirelessly every day to support our amazing young people.

Whereas we fully understand that we have all been through an unprecedented and challenging time over the last few years, only to be worsened now by the cost of living crisis, I must remind some parents that our members of staff deserve to be treated with respect and in a professional manner. Unfortunately, we are seeing an increasing number of incidents when parents are unreasonably challenging, offensive and rude to staff in school. This is unacceptable, and I will use all measures available to me to keep staff members free from abuse. We expect that all communication with our staff, either verbal or written, is done respectfully and free from abuse.

We are all here to support our pupils in the best way possible and to help them thrive and develop into considerate, responsible and successful young adults that they are all capable of being.

Please also remember that should you wish to meet with members of staff, you must contact the school and make a prior arrangement. When parents come to school without a prior arrangement, it can often be difficult to accommodate this as our staff are teaching or undertaking other duties.

Teachers, NHS staff and other emergency services are all public servants and should be treated with dignity and respect.

 

Many thanks for your cooperation with this.

Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA. Pennaeth Headteacher
Mrs. L. Davenport - Chair of Governors

Prestatyn school community thanks Queen for her service

SCHOOLS in Prestatyn came together to pay their respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died last Thursday.

Prestatyn High School, along with Bodnant Community School, Ysgol Clawdd Offa and Ysgol Penmorfa, paid their respects at Pendre Gardens yesterday.

 

They joined together to celebrate the service and devotion of Her Majesty.

Before a period of reflection, pupils and students from all four schools left flowers and messages in a poignant mark of respect.

Prestatyn High School head teacher Mr Foley said: “Although this is a sad and momentous time, it is also a time to celebrate the life of the Queen and her lifelong service to our nation.

Queen Elizabeth II Funeral

Dear Parents and Carers

 

I do hope you are well and you all had a nice summer break.

It was announced over the weekend that after the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II, a full state funeral will take place next Monday 19th September. This has been declared as a bank holiday and as such, all schools in Wales will close for the day. This will give our community the opportunity to join the millions of people paying their respect to the Queen on the day of the funeral.

This means that no pupils will be expected in school next Monday and the school will be closed to all staff and pupils. School will open as usual the following day.

Since the news broke about the death of Her Majesty, we have tried to help our learners understand the significance of this event and teach them how to deal with the news if they feel impacted in any way.

I hope all families in our community are okay and once again able to process another historic moment in all of our lives.

 

Best wishes and once again, thank you for your support

 

Yours sincerely

Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA. Pennaeth Headteacher

GCSE Results 2022

It has been a day to celebrate the achievements of our Y11 pupils. We are extremely proud of them all and delighted to see so many of them achieve top GCSE grades. 
We would also like to thank our dedicated and committed staff for guiding our learners through this turbulent time in ensuring they were prepared for their GCSEs.
We would also thank our parents / carers, community and governors for their support and tireless energy.

Mr Foley, the exceptionally proud Headteacher commented:  

These excellent results are testament to the hard work and resilience of our amazing pupils. Our Year 11s have worked alongside all staff in the school over the past two challenging years to achieve these remarkable results. Well done and good luck with the next stage of your education journey. 

I am sure our pupils will all go onto even greater success, with many of them embarking upon A-levels with us in our 6th form. 
To the class of 2022, we are so proud of you.
Anyone interested in enrolling in the Prestatyn High School Sixth Form is invited to attend the school at 1.30pm on Monday 5th September 2022.