Parent/Carer Letter – Last Day Arrangements

Annwyl Rhieni / Gwarcheidwiaid / Dear Parents / Carers,
Thank you for the ongoing support you have given the school this term. We work closely with parents and the local community to secure the highest levels of success for our pupils and students. As a school we have a lot to celebrate: excellent GCSE and A level results; fantastic sporting successes; several enriching residential visits; and our fabulous school production of Matilda.
We are exceptionally proud of all learners, and staff, and these amazing achievements reinforce our belief that what we are doing day to day is the right thing and that the high standards we hold continue to have an impact.
As a reward for everyone’s hard work, I am pleased to announce the school will be closing early at 12.20pm on Friday 20th December. This will allow pupils and their families a little extra time together to prepare for Christmas.
However, I am keen to stress that I do not expect to see a dip in attendance just because it is a shortened day. Pupils 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 pupils home.
In the spirit of giving, we are also proud to announce our support for the local foodbank this Christmas. We kindly ask that pupils consider donating £1 or bring in a non-perishable food item. All contributions will be collected and donated to help those in our community who are in need during this festive season. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated and will make a difference to the lives of many.
School re-opens for new term:
The school re-opens for students on Tuesday 7th January; Monday 6th January is a staff training day.
I understand that many of you may currently be facing much bigger challenges than education, which is why we will look to provide wider support to you and your family wherever possible. If you do require additional support, please do not hesitate in contacting the school.
I wish nothing more than for you to have a restful and enjoyable Christmas with your loved ones.
Yr eiddoch yn gywir / Best wishes,
Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA
Pennaeth/Headteacher

Home School Communication

Dear Parents/Carers,
Communication and partnership between home and school is vitally important to the success of a school. To support this, it is important that you are aware of the ways that you as parents/carers can contact a member of staff in school.
Email – Non urgent matters info@prestatynhigh.co.uk
Parents/carers should always email the school, or the appropriate member of staff, about a non-urgent matter, you can email the school office or the relevant member of staff who will make contact within 2 working days to acknowledge receipt and aim to respond in full within 5 working days.
Phone Calls - 01745 852312
If parents/carers need to speak to a specific member of staff about a non-urgent matter, you can email the school and ask for a telephone call at a convenient time, please can you give a number of suggestions where possible, then the relevant member of staff will attempt to contact you within 2 working days.
If this requested time is not possible due to teaching and other commitments, another member of staff will respond to schedule a call at a convenient time. We aim to make sure all parents/carers have spoken to the appropriate member of staff within five working days of your request.
Urgent issues
If issues are urgent, parents/carers please can you contact the school office. Urgent issues might include things like:
· Family emergencies
· Safeguarding and welfare issues
The relevant member of staff will then review the information shared with the school office, again making contact within two working days or sooner depending upon the triage of urgency.
Meetings
If a parent/carer would like to schedule a meeting with a member of staff, could you please email the appropriate email address, or call the school office for support in making an appointment. We try to schedule meetings within five working days of the request.
Whilst teachers and support staff are available at the beginning and the end of the school day, we recommend suggesting several options in your email to support the calendaring of such meetings.
We understand that at times you may wish to visit the school and speak to a member of staff immediately, however in a busy school setting this is incredibly difficult, and as such immediate meetings with members of staff may not be available.
Yours faithfully,
PJ Hill
Pam Hill Assistant Headteacher

Parent/Carer Letter re: Parking/Safety

Dear Parents/Carers,
Thank you for your ongoing support, we work closely with parents, carers and the local community to ensure the school site is as safe as possible for our children.
I would like to remind parents and carers it is imperative to drive and park safely during drop off times and at the end of the school day. Princes Avenue is a main thoroughfare and in constant use during the day, if parents and carers do not park safely it does restrict access along the road and reduces visibility of pedestrians crossing the road. Parking, such as mounting pavements, double parking, stopping on any yellow lines, and obstructing access to crossing points could cause danger to pupils and other road users.
Accidents can arise if views are obstructed or pedestrians have to negotiate between parked vehicles. Please park responsibly and consider the residents nearby to the school. Could I also remind parents and carers to adhere to the speed limit around the school, the mornings are especially busy on Princes Avenue and in the main car park during drop off.
Thank you for your continued support,
PJ Hill
Mrs PJ Hill
Assistant Headteacher

Christ the Word – Temp Executive Headteacher

Dear all parents and carers,
As you may have read in the press, or heard in the community, I will be supporting Christ the Word as Executive Headteacher for a fixed period of time. This arrangement will start after half term and remain in place until they make an appointment of a new Headteacher.
I will be leading both schools during this time, and I will be supported by the senior leadership teams in both sites to ensure educational excellence.
In response to a few emails and questions I have received, I am not leaving Prestatyn High School.
In order to ensure that the education of learners at Prestatyn High remains unaffected, I have put in suitable provision and staffing to accommodate any short-term changes going forward. Essentially, these changes will not impact any element of the running of Prestatyn High or the pupils at our amazing school.
These developments will hopefully have a positive impact on the education of the learners in Rhyl and help the school in the short-term.
Yours faithfully,
Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA
Pennaeth/Headteacher

Paperless Reporting

Annwyl Rhieni / Gwarcheidwiaid / Dear Parents / Carers,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you about an important change we are implementing for this academic year. In our continued efforts to enhance communication and promote sustainable practices, we have decided to transition to a paperless reporting system. This means that all Aiming High reports, as well as your child's annual report, will be sent to you electronically.
There are several benefits associated with this new system. Firstly, by delivering reports via email, we can ensure that you receive them promptly and that they do not inadvertently get lost in the bottom of your child's bag. Additionally, this initiative aligns with our commitment to being more environmentally friendly by reducing our paper consumption.
To facilitate this process, it is essential that we have your current email address on file. If you have not previously provided your email details, or if there have been any changes since you last communicated with us, please contact the school office at your earliest convenience using the following email address: info@prestatynhigh.co.uk. This will ensure that you continue to receive all important correspondence without interruption.
Should you have any questions, or require further clarification regarding this transition, please do not hesitate to contact the school. We appreciate your support as we implement this new system and look forward to enhancing our communication with you.
Thank you for your continued support.
Yr eiddoch yn gywir / Best wishes,
Mr. G. Turner
Diprwy Pennaeth/ Deputy Headteacher

Letter to Parents/Carers Sept 16th

Annwyl Rhieni / Gwarcheidwiaid / Dear Parents / Carers,
Croeso nȏl a dwi’n gobeithio bod pawb wedi cael haf pleserus. I do hope this letter finds you well, and that you had an enjoyable summer break with your families. We have now completed the first few weeks of the new school term and I thought this would be an ideal time to inform you about how well our learners have returned and update you on some of the latest news and important developments here at Prestatyn High.
The pupils and students have started the new term in an exceptionally focused and responsible way. I would like to praise all parents and carers for sending our young people back to school ready to learn, ready to engage, and in such a positive frame of mind. Pupils look smart in full uniform, and they have a desire to be successful. The staff are giving 100% to match our motivated learners so that we are even more successful this year than ever before. We are also committed to ensuring that pupils get the most out of school, that they enjoy school, and that they develop into the amazing adults our community deserves. It is only with the full support of conscientious and determined parents that we can make sure we achieve all of our goals.
Full attendance to school is essential, and I want to impress to all parents and carers that making sure your children are in school is key to their current and future success. If you have any queries about attendance, please contact your son or daughter’s Head of Year. Please ensure that all pupils are in school every day unless it is absolutely necessary to keep them away for serious illness or similar unavoidable reasons.
The results once again the summer were excellent and our outgoing Year 11s and 13s did very well in their GCSEs and A-levels. The majority of our Year 11s either stayed with us into 6th form or went on to the next stage of their educational journey of choice. Year 13 were also able to access their chosen universities or go onto meaningful employment, education or apprenticeship. I look forward to what our current exam classes can achieve, as we have very high expectations for the class of 2025!
We have once again ensured that the school site and buildings are continuously improved, renovated and upgraded so that all learners get the best educational experience possible. This year, the work on the school has been extensive and transformational. These works are either finished or in the last stages of completion. These works include:
  • lifts installed and now in service to all necessary 1st floor areas to improve accessibility around the school;
  • a new covered walkway to ease congestion on the corridors is in full use;
  • the complete refurbishment of the Humanities block including new furniture and facilities; and
  • the complete transformation and upgrade of the leisure/PE facilities including a new climbing wall and Prama studio. These exciting new facilities will be completed and handed over soon. Once in use, Prestatyn High pupils will be the first in the country to have access to such amazing activities.
Once again, the school would like to thank Denbighshire local authority for investing in the school and in the futures of our young people. Our mission to deliver a first-class education to all of our learners grows stronger every year. Whilst continuously petitioning for a totally new school building, I am happy that the existing building is in great shape.
We are also able to announce that all the amazing extra-curricular clubs are now up and running. Please see the latest enrichment letter and timetable for further information. There is, as always, a full calendar of events alongside trips abroad and in the UK to keep our pupils motivated and learning outside of the classroom. I am particularly looking forward to hearing about all of the extensive places our young people venture to. There will be many performing arts events, and our big production for the new year is The Addams Family. Our sporting achievements over the last few years have been excellent and I am sure 2024/25 will be no different.

 

I look forward to welcoming you to our great school this year.
Yr eiddoch yn gywir / Best wishes,
Neil Foley - B.Sc. MA
Pennaeth/Headteacher